December's New Moon Ort Report

Another New Moon is on the horizon so its time once again for a picture of my Orts for this months TUSAL Report. Not sure what a TUSAL is click the link and let Daffycat tell you all about it. http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-totally-useless-stitch-long-2015.html

I have a nice little pile of Orts mostly from the Holly King and block three of the HocusPocusville Quilt.

December Orts

I made good progress on Sunday slow stitching and hope to have this block completed shortly as long as my fingers hold up.

bubble and brew block 3

Well that's it for my December Tusal report, its been a wonderful year of stitching and taking part in the Totally Useless Stitch A Long motivates me to stitch more.

Here is a shot of my orts jar filled with most of my threads for the year, there is still room for more which I plan to add in the last weeks of this year. Its been a very good stitching year for me and for the up coming new year I will carry over my goal of last year to add more creative activity in my life.  

Taking part in the TUSAL and Slow Sunday Stitching over at Kathy's Quilts ( http://www.kathysquilts.blogspot.ca/ ) has really helped keep me motivated not only to stitch more but to venture into other areas I haven't tried before. 

November TUSAL Report aka: Show your Orts

Well I'm a day late with my November New Moon TUSAL report but here are my scant orts since the last New Moon. If you are curious about my monthly ort reports jump on over to It's Daffy Cat's blog to learn all about The Totally Useless Stitch A Long (TUSAL) it really does motivate me to keep on stitching.http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-totally-useless-stitch-long-2015.html

I'm feeling a lot better than I was yesterday and I'm hoping with more rest to get some stitching done tomorrow.  I have plans on Saturday to attend the Sarasota Renaissance Faire so I do need to shake this bronchitis, otherwise I'll have to try to make it on the 21st.

This is a short report for me I'm too tired so I'm off to lie down, next new moon I plan to have many more threads, perhaps with lots more colors.

October Ort Report

Wow! Are we really 12 days into October?  This month is flying by so quickly I feel like my head is spinning.

I've been getting some hand embroidery stitching in when I can, made some progress on a few projects thanks in part to my participation in the 2015 TUSAL, not sure what that is well click on the link and see for yourself http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-totally-useless-stitch-long-2015.html

Here are my Orts for the October 2015 New Moon, you will see some browns, red and greens among

the black threads. I finished the second block to the Hocuspocusville Quilt, I'll be starting the third

Block 2 Hester's U-Pick

block shortly I needed a break from all the black thread and those tiny letters which seen to go on forever.
I did get in some stitching on my Holly King piece, the pine cones look a bit wonky right now but once the holly and mistletoe leaves are stitched they should look fine.

Holly King

I noticed when I'm working on an embroidery piece some days I get into such a state of calm and quiet my needle seems to flow through the fabric without me even noticing I've made so many stitches until I come to the end of the thread.

My ort jar is filling up nicely with only two more ort reports for the year I hope to achieve a full jar this year.

October 2015

My busy season is coming up and if its anything like last year for most of November and December I won't get in much, if any stitching progress made.

Ort report, TUSAL for September 2015

Once again its the monthly New Moon (time does fly) and we all know what that means, its TUSAL time.  Here are my ORTS for this months Tusal, Not sure what a TUSAL is well simply put its the Totally Useless Stitch A Long hosted by It's Daffy Cat click the link if you want to know more or want to join too.
http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-totally-useless-stitch-long-2015.html

Any way here are my orts most are black threads from the Hocuspocusville Quilt blocks, that's block

number two under the threads ther white threads are from the fabric edges, there are a few green threads in there from my Holly King piece I work on when all those black threads make my eyes blur.

My ORTS jar is nearly full but there is room for the next few months ORT Reports left in 2015 I just tamp them down and keep on stitching.

If you save your Orts and aren't sure what to do with them here is a short tutorial on making Ornaments.http://hugsarefun.com/embroidery-floss-ornaments/

Well that's my September Tusual Ort report.

We are having a rainy Sunday here in my neck of the woods so I plan to spend a few hours stitching.

TUSAL Report for August New Moon

The time has once again rolled around to the New Moon of the month so its time to post my orts for the August TUSAL ort report. Read all about what a TUSAL is here and how to join in the fun: http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-totally-useless-stitch-long-2015.html

This month my orts are very scarce and almost all of one color thread, the off-white threads are from the fraying edge of a project I am working and the blue thread is from some mending I did recently.

I have finally begun the hand embroidery on the Hocuspocusville quilt which is where all the black threads are from.

I have had some fits and starts on this project, for the last week my allergies have been so bad my eyes have been watering so much my vision has been quite blurry so I haven't been able to do much stitching since I began.

For the last few years August seems to be one of the worst times I have with my allergies with each year getting worse.

Any way that is my ort report for August and hopefully I will have a big pile of threads by the next New Moon.

July TUSAL Report

My TUSAL report this month comes a few days after the July New Moon and my threads are few.

The Ort threads are from the Peace Square I did recently. The Peace Square has been sent off to the Artist for Peace project. https://obsesivcreativ.wordpress.com/2015/06/10/peace-squares-update/

Peace Square

 The Four Goddesses piece is waiting for me to make up my mind how I want to use it.  I have a few ideas so I may do another one.

Four Goddesses

I'm not sure what happened since the last new moon but I am about to remedy the lack of threads. I have been tracing the Hocuspocusville quilt blocks and should begin stitching them soon, with the initial drawback I had to scrap the first fabric because it wore down the point of my micron pen tracing the first block, in doing that I had to select a new fabric which was easy I went with plain unbleached muslin which I was planning to use as the stabilizing fabric on the blocks, so yesterday I went out and bought fabric to replace the back of the blocks.

I now have 10 blocks traced with two more to go and then I can start stitching.  Well that's my TUSAL Ort report for July, my next ort report should have lots of black threads.
Not sure what the TUSAL is, simply put Totally Useless Stitch-Along, though for me its not useless at all, its a motivator for me to stitch more. Are you curious about TUSAL click here for more details, http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-totally-useless-stitch-long-2015.html

TUSAL My Orts so far

Another New Moon tells me it is once again time for the TUSAL Orts report, my Orts for May/June are not too bad so far with many more to be added as the weeks move forward.

June Orts

The orts are mainly from the Greenman #2 and this little hand embroidery I made earlier in the month

and from the Goddess piece I started this weekend, I have two Goddesses left to stitch but I will put

them aside so I can work on this Peace Square for the Artists for Peace project, I chose to make a

Peace square on light box

square using hand embroidery, but you can make a square using just about any medium: knitted, crocheted, quilted or sewn, you could even weave a square.  For more details on the project, a look at some of the squares gathered and other pertinent information, like the address where to send you finished square click the link: https://obsesivcreativ.wordpress.com/

I continue to gather hand embroidery patterns for future projects, I just love Crab-apple Hill Studios patterns. This sweet little bouquet should stitch up very nicely and help to fill my orts jar for the next

TUSAL report, what is a TUSAL, it stands for Totally Useless Stitch-a-Long, but to me it is so much more, it motivates me to stitch more, sew more, crochet more etc, it help me keeping up with my goal for 2015 to be more creative, I have to say I have been right on track.

For more information jump on over to and check it out http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-totally-useless-stitch-long-2015.html it's never to let to join.

May New Moon Tusal Report

Time flies by so quickly, it seems like only yesterday I was posting the April Orts report and here I am posting May's Ort report.

May orts

I have to say taking part in the Totally Useless Stitch Along aka TUSAL has motivated me to stitch a variety or projects and it has fed my thread obsession, just a bit.

Here is what I have been working on since my last Ort Report,

greenman #2

The Greenman #2 hand embroidery piece is stitched and I have one more corner Celtic knot to finish.

I have to say stitching this piece has been a labor of love and the photo does not capture how truly beautiful it is.
Just off my crochet hook is a second amulet bag this one in green. I used the same pattern as the blue

one I made, same weight crochet thread and same steel hook size 6 yet there is a slight difference in

the size which I attribute to the stitches on the blue being loose which often happens when I work a pattern for the first time, more so when I use such a tiny hook and thread, stitching the green bag I was much more comfortable with the hook and thread.

One thing I should have done was crochet the second bag in any color but green, after weeks of stitching the greenman I wanted a break from the color green, which I will get when I begin some of the new pattens I bought.

A few new patterns arrived in the mail last week which I should be posting ort reports on in the next few months, two are from one of my favorite design studios, Crab-apple Hill.

poppy project bag

sunflower stitchery folder

And two patterns from Bird Brain Designs, I made sure to purchase the floss kits and perle cotton balls along with the patterns to save time hunting down the colors I need.

 My growing obsession for Crab-apple Hill patterns began with Hocuspocusville which I plan to have on my light box this week. I would love to make 2 of each block, one in all black as shown on the

pattern, and one in bright colors, this will depend on the time it takes to trace each pattern so I may only do one set for now, when I purchased the pattern a few years ago I also bought the fabric and the floss so I am all set to stitch once I get the patterns traced onto the fabric.  I plan to trace all the patterns first then start stitching, and I'm planning a Greenman #3.

If everything goes as schedule this week on Thursday I will attend another hand embroidry class which will focus on fill-in stitches. I may use one of the motifs from this pattern set.

Well that's my TUSAL report for May, not sure what an ort report is all about click on the link to Daffy Cat's blog and read all about it.
http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-totally-useless-stitch-long-2015.html

April TUSAL Orts Report

Wow another New Moon which means its time for me to post my Orts for the April TUSAL, what is a TUSAL=Totally Useless Stitch A Long what more information follow the like to Daffycat's site and you can find out what its all about and join too if you would like.
http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-totally-useless-stitch-long-2015.html

Orts Jar

orts

The Orts for this  month come mainly from the Greenman #2 hand embroidery piece.  Yesterday I was able to put in some quality stitching time.

The top half of the Greenman's leaves are completely stitched and today I plan to start on the bottom half.  The photo doesn't do justice to the piece it is quite stunning up close.

More ort threads to be sorted for longer pieces I will still use the others will be tossed in my Orts jar

which I need to tamp down which I will do when this piece is completed. The lone blue yarn piece

is from the shawl I am crocheting which I work on when my fingers are too sore to hold onto the needle.

The shawl has reached thirty four inches in width and still growing, I am pleased with the results and I like the simple pattern stitch.

Well that's all for this month's TUSAL. I am off to an Arts and Crafts festival.
Happy Stitching

Happy Spring and March TUSAL report

Well it's the first day of Spring and as in years gone by I awoke with an internal restlessness and the urge to hit the road for an adventure of sorts and oddly enough to declutter my nest.  I felt the mild stirrings of restlessness for a few weeks so I will have to appease the stirrings soon and take a short road trip soon.

Here is my Ort Report photo of my Ort jar filling up rather nicely this fine Spring New Moon day (that was a mouthful), followed by the current projects I'm working on.

What is a TUSAL you ask, and what the heck is an ORT jar well if you want to be in the know click the link and learn all about it from daffycat, you may find you want to join in too.
http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-totally-useless-stitch-long-2015.html

My lastest progress on Greenman #2 in the Q-Snap frame, I've had to take a few days off from stitching to let the split on my finger heal so this week when I had time I put in several rows of crochet stitching to my shawl, my new yarn bowl is peaking out.

The new yarn bowl with dragonflies, there is room enough for a large ball of yarn or several yarns. Since I haven't had time to get into the pottery studio and this piece just took my breath away I bought it, I purchased it here http://stores.ebay.com/californiahandmadetiles

So far the shawl is currently 32 inches across this photo shows a more accurate  color of the yarn but fails to show the luster.

The quilt blank I put together to embroider different Greenmen designs which are currently in progress. The blanks are 8x8 inches just the right size to work comfortably in hoops or frames.

This ends my Ort report for the month of March, I really enjoy taking part in the TUSAL= Totally Useless Stitch a Long, it makes me want to stitch more.

Here is what I am currently reading,  this week both books are by authors I haven't read before which helps fill my goal of reading 12 new to me authors.

 The book by Maria Semple had me from page one, last night I couldn't put it down and read into the wee hours of the morning.

This book by Lisa Van Allen I chose for my reading books with thread in the title. Its a personal little challenge I came up for myself to get me reading when I hit a slump.  So far I have read A Single Thread and A Spool of Blue Thread.

Some day this week I will be planting the OldHami bamboo in my garden and clearing away the fallen twigs and ever growing weeds.

I wish you all a very Happy Spring

Tusal Ort report and what I have been stitching February 2015

Here is my Orts jar for the February New Moon it's rapidly filling up with threads which is a nice thing to see and I am so glad I joined TUSAL(Totally Useless Stitch Along) again this year.

Feb 18 2015

Here is where some of those threads came from

Greenman #1

The stitching on my first Greenman hand embroidery piece is completed and I am happy with the results.

Some of the Herringbone variation stitches from this months Joyful Embellishments group I like this stitch and had fun changing the size

The pistil stitch above the herringbone needs more practice but my knots are beginning to form nicely.
I made some of the blocks for the quilt class I am taking, class didn't meet on the 13th and won't meet on 20th so I am working on the log cabin blocks from the class I missed on the 6th.

I have a big pile of fabric orts too this month. I had some trouble controlling the rotary cutter and I made a few to get a straight edge. Ugh!

Here is Greenman #2 just off my light box I think I am going to crayon tint before I begin to stitch.

Greenman #2

These Celtic Knot pieces are on the bottom and top corner of the greenman #2 piece which I have on

a eighteen inch piece of fabric whether it will stay in one piece when I am done is anyones guess.

Currently on the light box are a few Goddess pieces I have been planning to put together for some the small Goddess with the spirals is traced and waiting to be stitched after I cut it off the fabric.
I like the simple lines for hand embroidery.

One last look at my Orts jar which may need to be replaced soon with all the stitching I have planned, uncertain what an Orts jar is and curiuos to what TUSAL stands for check out the information here at daffycats blog http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-totally-useless-stitch-long-2015.html
and join the fun it it may just be the thing you need to get you stitching again.