TUSAL for April......

Well it's time for TUSAL. To learn more about TUSAL go here to Daffycat's blog. 

 Here is my ORT jar. Not too much change. A few extra orts since last month.

A bit of a dull day today for taking pictures. We are expecting rain which is much preferable to snow. Mother Nature can't seem to make up her mind weather wise here.

Take care:)

TUSAL and a finish......

Well it's time for TUSAL. To learn more about TUSAL go here to Daffycat's blog. 

Here is my ORT jar.....

I finished my button wall hanging. I used practically every button in my odd button jar. Some of them are very old and some not so much. I filled in the spaces with French knots using up those extra longer ORTs. Waste not want not. I wasn't fussy about perfection in my knots so don't look too close.....:)

I used a really old 12 inch embroidery hoop. It's about 40 plus years old. I very rarely do anything requiring one this size so at least it's being used. I almost tossed it out so now I'm glad I didn't.

I faffed about with a bow etc at the top join but so far I haven't decided what to do.

Click on the picture to get a bigger view.

I wrapped the inner hoop with thin tape and then I sewed the background fabric to that while it was still taut in the hoop. Then I glued the loose fabric to the tape...see pic. After that I glued the outside hoop to the inner hoop. The fabric made a good bond for the glue. A bit of overkill maybe but I wanted to make sure it stayed in place. This sucker is not going to fall apart....LOL

Actually the back is interesting with all my zigs and zags. I put a thin layer of glue all over the back to make sure none of my finishing knots come apart. I might cover the back with something???? Not sure.

Button overload.....

Take care:)

TUSAL.......

Well it's time for TUSAL. To learn more about TUSAL go here to Daffycat's blog. 

Here's my ORT jar.....a few threads. Better than last month.

The thing in the background is a little project to use up all my odd and old buttons that I know I will never use. Some were given to me by a retired co-worker way back in the 1980's and some are from my mum. I can't throw them out. So a bit of wall art for my sewing room is in the process of being created. It's not my original idea. I saw it on Pinterest and it appealed to me.

Take care:)

TUSAL and the New Moons of earth....not Jupiter.......:)

Well it's time for TUSAL. To learn more about TUSAL go here to Daffycat's blog. 

I apologize as I was doing TUSAL incorrectly last year. I started out okay I think....sigh. Even though I was using the New Moon dates I was telling you about the Full Moons. Arrrggh.

Then as if that wasn't bad enough the new 2019 freebie calendar I was given has the moon phases incorrect. So you know what that means. I would have been doing it wrong YET AGAIN!!!!!!! See January 5, 2019...Full Moon? Should be New Moon!!! Sheesh.

I received the calendar from a very prestigious real estate company. On the back it has a statement that covers the makers for incorrect information so I can't even complain. It also states that "Seasonal dates and lunar phases are based on GMT/UTC." I don't know what planet they live on?

Any way I am now sorted:)

I have this to go by now and I have added the correct NEW MOON dates to my side bar.

Here is my TUSAL jar with it's new label...empty. But, I have plans to fill it up.

Take care :)

TUSAL 2018...and the Full Moon for December

Well it's time for TUSAL. To learn more about TUSAL go here to Daffycat's blog. 

 My ORT jar.....

The last full moon in 2018 is called the Cold Moon. It is also called Long Nights Moon, and the Moon before Yule.

I'm a bit late with my post on here but I did manage to get my post on Facebook on the right day :)

Take care. 

TUSAL 2018...and the Full Moon for November

Well it's time for TUSAL. To learn more about TUSAL go here to Daffycat's blog. 

My ORT jar and my sewing buddy Deva....

The Full Moon in November is named after beavers who build their winter dams at this time of year. It is also called Frost Moon and Mourning Moon, depending on the winter solstice.

Not much to share these days. I'm psyching myself up to reupholster a rocking chair. See that blue fabric in the background of the pic. Total bargain at Fabricland. It's a sky blue velvet upholstery that was $20 dollars a metre marked down to $7.

I'm also working on a new doll. It's for a doll club challenge. The theme is "Make a Queen" which is pretty open ended. I still haven't decided which queen I will do.

Take care :)

TUSAL 2018...and the Full Moon for October

Well it's time for TUSAL. To learn more about TUSAL go here to Daffycat's blog. 

My ORT jar.......

October’s Full Moon is the Hunter’s Moon and every three years it's also the Harvest Moon. It is also called Travel Moon, Dying Grass Moon, and sometimes Blood Moon or Sanguine Moon.

Yes I recall my dad going deer hunting around this time of year. Way the heck up north. I'd have to go with him as my mum worked.and I wasn't old enough to stay home by myself. Then we'd end up with venison which I really dislike. My dad would can the meat in mason jars just like you'd do fruit and pickles and such. Dad would have to cook it when my mum wasn't home...she was a vegetarian. The gamey smell of fresh deer meat when it cooks. Not pleasant. IMHO anyway. He used to put a spice on it to kill the smell. I think he used cinnamon. Didn't help :(

Take care :)

TUSAL 2018 and the Full Moon for September.......

Well it's time for TUSAL. To learn more about TUSAL go here to Daffycat's blog. 

 My ORT jar.....

"The Full Moon closest to the September equinox is called the Harvest Moon, and it is either in September or October. The Harvest Moon is the Full Moon nearest the September equinox, which occurs around September 22. Most years, the Harvest Moon is in the month of September, but around every three years, it occurs in October."

That's interesting. I never really noticed full moons before I started doing the TUSAL stitch along. You're never too old to learn something new.

Take care:)

TUSAL 2018

Well it's time for TUSAL. To learn more about TUSAL go here to Daffycat's blog.
 

My ORT jar......

"The Full Moon in August is named after North America's largest fish, the lake sturgeon. Other names for this Full Moon include Grain Moon, Green Corn Moon, Fruit Moon, and Barley Moon."

This is what a Lake Sturgeon looks like. They are very weird looking and also they get very big.  

Source

See what I mean. To read more about this particular fish go here........LINK.

On another note I thought you might like to meet my Quality Control Manager:)

Take care:)

TAST 2018 and TUSAL 2018

 TAST = Take A Stitch Tuesday

I've been keeping up with the stitches. Not hard as my sampler isn't that big. Some of these stitches I will never do again...ever...LOL  I'm right handed but I was taught to sew left handed so sometimes it's hard trying to get my head and hands sorted out. A few beads need to be added too to tart it up a bit.

TUSAL (scheduled each full moon)

The Full Moon in July is the Buck Moon, named after the new antlers that emerge from the  foreheads of male deer around this time of the year. It is also called Thunder Moon, Hay Moon, and Wort Moon.

It should be called the Weed Moon this year as it so dry the only plant life that seems to be thriving are weeds. No one is cutting their lawn as the grass is dead for now. Once it rains it will revive. As a result everyone seems to have a lot of Queen Anne's Lace, Bellflowers and Wild Chicory in their gardens. Even along the roads where there are grassy areas. I don't mind as it means the wildflowers are starting to come back now the city stopped spraying weed killer along the road verges. Some call them weeds but I guess it's really a point of view. It's been years since I saw so much Wild Chicory...usually only way up north.

 Well since it is a full moon today and therefore TUSAL time here is my ORT jar...lots of colours.

Take care:)

TUSAL for June 2018

I'm a few days late for my June TUSAL post ....ooops.

What is TUSAL?.......you can find out more about it at Daffycat's blog here.

Here is my friend Ratso and my ORT  jar.

The new moon for June is called The Strawberry Moon so I thought with Ratso being pink he'd be a perfect presenter. I think he's doing a great job:)

Take care.

It's the May new moon and so it's TUSAL time

So what is TUSAL......you can find out more about it at Daffycat's blog here

Here is my ORTS jar. Not much embroidery or cross stitching stitching done as I was busy doing something else. My friend Eeyore looks a bit worried but then he always does:)

The stitcher’s definition of “ORT” is an acronym meaning “Old Raggedy Threads.”

TUSAL is scheduled based on the the new moon. In May the new moon is known as the Flower Moon. Other names include the Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon.

In our household the month of May is when we transplant seedlings into the garden. Normally we do this on or around the 21st of May. There have been years when frost has happened but usually by this time of year we hope for better weather. Actually they aren't exactly seedlings. They are usually well established plants as our growing season is relatively short. If the tomatoes aren't getting red by the end of August then they probably won't ever be red :(

I mentioned above that I was doing something else. I was finishing a doll that I started last May 2017. You read correctly...2017. Even worse. The last doll I made before that was in September 2015!!!

She is from an online class I took with Angela Jarecki called "Song of Hope". I had a lot of problems making her but now she is finally finished.

Happy Ides of May. Take care :)

It's the April new moon and so it's TUSAL time......

 What is TUSAL......

To find out more please visit Daffycat:)

The full moon of April is called the Pink Moon.

The name Pink Moon comes from  “moss pink,” or wild ground phlox—one of the first spring flowers. Other names for this full moon are Sprouting Grass Moon, Fish Moon, Hare Moon, Egg Moon, and Paschal Moon.

According the the Farmer's Almanac a full moon in April brings frost. However, if the full moon rises pale, expect rain. I bet you really wanted to know that...right?

It did rain but it was freezing rain that turned to snow. We have winter back again. Sigh.

View from the back porch. 

Take care:) 

TUSAL for March!.......

It's that time again. My TUSAL jar. I've decided to start a new one for 2018 as the old one was a bit full.

What is TUSAL?

You can read all about it at Daffycat's blog....here.

TUSAL is scheduled based on the new moons. I was curious so I went on line to inquire about new moons and discovered that....."The Full Moon in March is the Worm Moon. It is also called Lenten Moon, Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Chaste Moon, Sugar Moon, and Sap Moon. It's the last Full Moon before the vernal equinox." You can go here and read more about why it's named after worms:) Who knew?

So where do some of those TUSAL threads come from? Well.....

I have been very good at keeping up with my TAST stitches. The latest stitch we had to do was the couching stitch. I just realized that it looks sorta wormy right? LOL

I tried to use the stitch on my doodle embroidery project. I took some cord and some chenille fiber and used them for the center of a flower. A bit boring but it worked.

I like to use the couching stitch when I do crazy quilting as it's a simple way of attaching fibers, trims and laces. Here is a sample of a piece of chunky chenille fiber that I used when I took a CQ online class with Kathy Shaw.

In this case it was a bit fiddly following the curves of the letter but I can see all kinds of lovely uses for this type of stitching.

That's it from me for TUSAL until the next new moon.

Take care:) 

February 15th and a New Moon and.....

...time once again for A Totally Useless Stitch A Long  hosted by Sharon at It"s Daffycat. Use this link or click on this pic on my right hand sidebar to find out what's it's all about.

Here is my ORTS jar not quite as full as last time. I did a bit of housecleaning and threw away...yes...threw away some of the orts. It was a very traumatic thing to do but it was for the best.

What is an ORT you ask?

It's an Old Ragged Thread. They are all the end bits of embroidery thread that I keep just in case.

I've decided to use some of them on a piece of fabric to try out stitches. I was toying with idea of doing the One Year of Stitches thingy but decided to do my own thing. Actually it's quite nice just to randomly stitch something that's not structured. Just wandering about on a bit of cloth stitching until you run out of thread and then pick out another bit and keep going.

I've been trying my hand again at Crazy Quilting which of course means more orts. So it goes.

The ORT jar is very handy for propping stuff when you need to take a picture:)

The fabric is a very thin Japanese cotton in shades of tan, brown, grey with black here and there. It's lovely fine cotton fabric that I bought years ago at a quilt/craft show. Each piece is 10 inches by 23 inches so not a fat quarter. I have no idea what it would be called in quilting terminology.

I'm also redoing the first panel in the Pamela Kellogg's "Never Ending Sampler Stitch Along".  Here's the link if you're interested. I had done the first panel but decided I wanted to do all of them using the same fabric.

I discovered another sampler stitch along just by accident when Googling for something or other. It's hosted by Linen & Things. Here is the link for the 2017 sampler.....here and the beginning of the 2018 sampler here. 

It's been the coldest winter ever and maybe the snowiest in quite a few years. Perfect weather though for staying warm indoors and doing a bit of stitching. Well that's it from me. I hope you are all keeping well.

Take care:)