A Totally Useless Stitch A Long

Get to stitching and 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 even 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 and send me an email with a link to your blog (to be included in the guest list below.) NEW! - You can also ask to join the TUSAL Facebook group.

2. Get a glass jar or other container and save your thread clippings. Some stitchers include fabric trimmings, thread bands, empty spools 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 and/or the Facebook Page. This is a blog/Facebook game so YES, you MUST have a blog/Facebook 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!

When to post?

We follow the Lunar Cycle so every year these dates change! Some years they are very evenly spaced, one New Moon each month and some years have 2 New Moons one month and skip a calendar month altogether!

The New Moon dates for 2019 are:

January 6
February 4
March 6
April 5
May 4
June 3
July 2
August 1
August 30
September 28
October 28
November 26
December 26

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  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!

Our Guest List:

1. It's Daffycat

2. Uglemors blog

3. Deborah's Bits and Pieces

4. Serendipitous Stitching

5. orts, splinters and mulch

6. needle and thread

7. Yellow Flower Meadow

8. Beth's Needlework Stash

9. The Flashing Scissors

10. crossing the stitches

11. Stitchin' & Life in a Small Town

12. My Stitching Nook
13. Magical's Quilts and More
14. A Cozy Little Place for Stitching
15. D1D2
16. A Crafter's Corner
17. Home of a Floss Junkie
18. Life From the Pond
19. Little Stitches Art
20. Handmade Fashion
21. Cats in the Quiltorium
22. Fetalina Stitching
23. Crafty Weasel
24. Never A Dull Moment
25. Food For Thought
26. Casas e Bordados
27. Into the Dark
28. Mama needs to do some stitching
29. Alaska Wolf Pack
30. Jeetje borduurt
31. The Whimsical Dowager
32. Caring Stitcher
33. My Tate Gallery
34. Little Stitches Art
35. Northwest Red Head
36. Mostly Cross Stitch and Some More
37. Reviews, Chews & How-Tos
38. Kitten Stitching
39. Connie's Creations
40. Are you next?

=^..^=

Thank you for visiting my blog today!

xox