Ho Ho Ho

*

Dash,

Daffycat

and

Miss Molly

wish you all a

Merry Christmas!

[]

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

The Totally Useless Stitch A Long 2014

The 2014 TUSAL is launched! 

Save those ORTs!

What is an ORT? ORT or ort ~ Capitalized, it stands for Old Ratty Threads. These are the cast-off thread ends a needleworker cuts away. These ends are often saved in clear jars as a decorative object. The word, "ort" does appear in the dictionary, meaning: a bit of something left over; usually concerning food. 

Why would you save ORTs and why on earth post a picture on your blog? Not everyone saves them. Some stitchers just toss them in the trash or let them decorate the sofa and floor. Sometimes this inadvertent decorating draws ire from those living with us. Saving these clippings in one place creates a random tangle of lovely colored thread. Posting a photo of this pile is "progress" of a sort and thus, the Totally Useless Stitch A Long was born. 

If you would like to join the Stitch-A-Long:

1. Comment on this post.

2. Get a glass jar or other container and save your thread clippings. Some stitchers include fabric trimmings, thread bands or any other stitching cast-offs they gather. You may continue filling this jar throughout the year OR you may empty the jar and start over each month ~ no firm rules here!

3. On (or about) each New Moon take a picture of the ORTs in your jar and post it to your blog. This is a blog game so YES, you MUST have a blog to be included.

4. Yes, you can use your current ORT jar or jars. This is no contest...the stitcher with the most ORTs doesn't win!

5. You should post a picture each New Moon, even if there has been no "progress" to show. We are aiming for "once a month" here...no whippings for being late, early or absent!

6. When you have posted the picture of your ORTs visit my blog and comment on my ORT report for that month's TUSAL. If I have a Totally Useless Giveaway these comments give you an extra entry. Make sure you comment on the right post, a few comments seem to sneak onto other posts!

The New Moon dates for 2014 are:

January 1
January 30
March 1
March 30
April 29
May 28
June 27
July 26
August 25
September 24
October 23
November 22
December 22

In years past, I have made up a "guest list" by adding a blog link list for everyone that joined ~however~ this year I probably will not do that. It takes hours and hours and hours of visiting blogs, editing the post, checking links, editing the post, correcting mistakes, editing the post. I'd much rather be stitching or visiting your blog on a recreational basis. Therefore, consider your comment to be your entry. Make sure either your profile is set to "open" so people can visit your blog or leave a link to your blog in your comment.

A request: I notice there are a lot of bloggers completely in the dark about your Totally Useless posts. They see lots of people posting pictures of ORT jars but they have NO IDEA why. They might want to join in the fun too! Please put a LINK to THIS sign-up page when you make your TUSAL posts. A link in your sidebar is great but ONLY if your readers SEE it and realize what it is.  

If you want to add the TUSAL link gadget to your sidebar (in Blogger): right click on it and save the photo to your computer, go to your blog's layout and choose "add a photo" and put the address to this 2014 TUSAL post in the link option. Upload the photo and save.

A shout-out on your blog to let other stitchers know about the Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long would be greatly appreciated! Plus, please change the links in your sidebar to this new post!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

December ORT Report

Yesterday, I was catching up on my blog reader when I saw a post titled something like "Last TUSAL of the year" or some-such. What? I thought. It's not time for that! Whoops, yes it sure was and I'm days & days late! I should be canned as your TUSAL leader. I tell you what!

Sorry about that! It was a crazy, crazy week at work. A severe winter storm was expected and everyone was getting prepared. For those that don't know, I manage a gas station connected to a large grocery store. One hint of the "S" word and we have an instant Black Friday type rush. It makes your work hours go by fast but it does leave you too tired to remember it is the New Moon!

I'm still plodding along on Trilogy's Secret Pumpkin Patch. Yes, since mid September. How's that for a slow stitch? But it does make pretty ORTs for my jar:

This is our last ORT report of 2013. It has been fun. I want to thank my fellow TUSALers for their participation this year! I really love seeing your Old Ratty Threads each month. For those that would like to continue next year I will be posting a 2014 sign up soon.

Since my ORT report has a Halloween/Autumn theme, here's a snappy of my Christmas tree all lit up. Keep things in the proper season and all. That and I'm just pleased I actually got the tree up this year. Monster Molly has pretty much ignored it, if you can believe that!

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox

Oh Molly!

Miss Molly is a terror with toys. She is an outstanding dog toy demolish-er. I think she has finally outgrown actually eating them but famous last words ~ right? She loves stuffed toys. Petco sells small, inexpensive ones...relatively. They are still $5 for 2 of them. We bought her a couple last week and it wasn't but an hour or two before one had to be taken away. Did I tell you my daughter calls her the "Monster Dog" lol?

Molly especially likes stuffed toys that crinkle. I decided to try sewing some toys. Toys without too many seams. Or ears. Feet. Tails. Stuffing. Anything that can be ripped off. Or out. You know what I mean!

I bought some fleece throw blankets for $3 and some interfacing. Heaven knows I have plenty of salvaged squeakers. Then I saw these fun, brightly colored terry bath cloths. Wouldn't those be easy to toss into the washer when they get all dog-spitty? I bought two, just to try. 

I cut a piece of high-loft batting to fit. Washed the (crunchy sounding) inner plastic bag of a cracker sleeve and cut a piece to fit and sewed it all up with a squeaker inside. 

Presto! A fun, crinkly, squeaky dog toy!

Molly LOVED it! It squeaks! It crinkles! Whee!

Her newest, most favorite-ist toy ever! 

She also demolished it in about 6 minutes flat, pulling out strings of the terry-cloth.

*sigh* 

Back to the drawing board. Maybe the fleece will hold up better? Fabric ideas, anyone?

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox