2021 - T.U.S.A.L.

T.U.S.A.L.   2021

2020 IS BEHIND US AND WE WILL MOVE ONTO 2021 AND CONTINUE THE TUSAL

AS I NEVER SEEM TO REMEMBER FULL MOON OR NEW MOON - I PROPOSE TO SHOW EACH MONTH'S TUSAL COLLECTION IN THE FIRST WEEK OF THE MONTH TO SHOW OFF THE PREVIOUS MONTH'S AMOUNT OF STITCHING. 

WHAT YOU CAN SEE IN THIS BOWL HERE ARE ALL THE ORTS COLLECTED IN 2020 - IT APPEARS MY MOJO HAS RETURNED AFTER ALL.   I INTEND TO USE THESE TO STUFF THE FIRST CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT I FFO IN 2021

Totally Useless Stitch A-Long

TUSAL JAN 2020

TUSAL FEB 2020

TUSAL MARCH 2020

Yes that's right - that is what TUSAL stands for.  Totally useless - except perhaps for keeping your vacuum cleaner clear from all those little threads that you clip off as too short when stitching.

ORT - that is the correct term for that little bit of floss that is left when you finish stitching a particular colour on your project.  Too small for anything else but flinging in the bin?  Not so.
HOW DID T.U.S.A.L. start????

YoYo ran a blog called Dragon My Needle - and in December 2008, proposed that interested bloggers join in this Stitch Along - one that covered all stitching styles and chart preferences and speed of stitching.  Sadly, YoYo has left the blogging community for the time being, and in her place, we will encourage stitchers to collect their orts and share their progress on a monthly basis.

However, another stitcher, just as obsessive as myself stepped up to the challenge and ran TUSAL until January 2019 -  Daffycat and somewhere near 150 other stitchers posted their TUSAL progress each new moon 
in 2014

Find a clear container.  Some use a bowl, some a jar.  Mine is a small decanter with a cork top that I picked up at a thrift shop for a couple of dollars.  Each time you clip your floss ort, toss it into the container.  Keep it in a spot where you'll see it to remember to collect it - at least for the first few months - soon it will be a matter of habit to collect these threads.

Every month, on the NEW MOON - take a picture of your TUSAL container and post it to your blog to share with other TUSALites.  You will be amazed at your stitching progress.  You can add floss wrappers or broken needles if you like - something to track the amount of stitching. (Personally I prefer to dispose of my broken or worn needles in a safe, separate container)  
Each month, you will see some floss that will remind you of individual projects, lots of reds around Valentine's day, green floss for St.Patrick's projects, and perhaps glittery metallics for all that Christmas stitching.

There are no prizes at the end of it all. 
No container that is 'prettier' than anybody else's.  This has no other function, but to keep your floor free of orts.

What do we do with the TUSAL floss at the end of the year?

Once again, it's up to you.

You could stuff a stitched Christmas ornament with it.

You could fill a clear perspex or glass ornament with your floss and hang it from the tree.

You could fill a bag and label it for the year.

You could tip it into a bowl in your crystal cabinet until the next year and then wonder what exactly to do with both of them (yep....that's me!)

Previous TUSAL collections

2010 TUSAL - must be Xmas - all those extra glittery thread

2011 TUSAL - given the sheep and the amount of white floss