Cross-Stitch

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Sign Up for 2012 TUSAL – Totally Useless Stitch-a-long

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As I wandered around stitchy blogs I kept running into a mysterious term – TUSAL – and I wondered what in the world it meant. Until I found Daffycat’s blog and unearthed the meaning of the term. TUSAL stands for Totally Useless Stitch-a-long. Read on to learn more.

If you would like to join the TUSAL for 2012 leave a comment on this post at It’s a Daffycat. The rules are simple:

1. Get a glass container and save your thread clippings or ORTs (Old Ratty Threads!) 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!

2. 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.

3. Yes, you can use your current ORT jar or jars.

Read More About the TUSAL

Comments

  1. Too funny! I’ve been doing that for awhile and just dumped my useless thread. Just started another one a few weeks ago! 🙂

  2. I saw this at the beginning of 2011 and started a jar but never posted pictures. I’m happy to report my jar is almost full and I will empty it on Dec. 31 to start again. I’m saving the threa for the birds in the spring, they can make pretty nests.

  3. Did you know that you can take those threads, sandwich them between two layers of watersoluble interfacing, quilt like crazy on your machine, dissolve the layers, and have a pretty neat, original piece of fabric to play with?

Have you read?

Designer Spotlight: Living on the Rainbow

Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish yourself as a cross stitch designer. Most designers do holiday designs, they often do florals, have text designs that are a little snarky. But if you can find a niche you love and people can come to know you for it, that’s a great strategy. 

I don’t know if the designer behind Living on the Rainbow originally set out to do really cool three dimensional cross stitch patterns, but that’s a lot of what’s available in their shop and I think it’s super fun. 

There is, for example, a whole set of Christmas village patterns that are assembled in a circle and topped with fabric that makes them look sort of like carousels. There are three dimensional mushroom houses, tiny stitched books, and spring themed designs including 3D eggs, teapots and bird houses. 

Some of my favorites are the tiny campers, like this Gothic caravan that looks like something Beetlejuice himself would ride around in. The cross stitch portion features Gothic windows on the sides and back, a striped top and vampire fangs on the front. It’s finished with button wheels, bats and bat wings in the photos, but you can add whatever accessories you like to bring your caravan to life. 

It’s shown on 18 count fabric and comes out to about 1.8 by 2 inches, or 4.5 by 5.5 cm. It’s stitched in three pieces that are assembled and stuffed, and the pattern includes instructions for how to do that. It’s meant to be a pincushion but would be delightful as an ornament as well. 

There are also designs that are assembled as cubes, some of which are seasonal while others have themes like different crafts. There’s also a stunning section of Alice in Wonderland patterns you’ll want to check out. 

In addition to the dimensional designs, there are some more conventional Halloween patterns, a series of mini ghosts, Christmas themed patterns that look like envelopes, and a few Christmas patterns, too. 

Do yourself a favor and go check out Living on the Rainbow. Even if you never stitch any of the projects (though I’d love to know if you do!) they’re sure to make you smile. 

[Photo: Living on the Rainbow]