The Christmas Challenge. Grub roses.

My Christmas Challenge has been going along well and I have been still working on crochet edgings.  I started a big bottle of Vanilla Extract this week which will end up in little bottles and part of some of my kitchen/foodie gifts.

I am trying to post early today as we are expecting a big storm. Now the weather report isn't famous for accuracy. But if it is what they say it is we probably won't have power later on!

Quite a few of us have been working on crochet edgings and I am pretty thrilled that there are some of you giving these a go and learning them as they are so useful and fun to do!  The beauty of them is you can take something inexpensive and personalise it and make it special all fro very little money!

The other thing I have found so useful is knowing how to do Grub Roses. I have had several requests to do some sort of tutorial on these.  And I am working on it! This should be interesting as it is all tiny and close up photos! But I am doing my best so that is coming very shortly!

In the meantime  I am going to hopefully encourage anyone who doesn't embroider to give it a try! It is so lovely to do. Plus small and portable. I can't take my sewing machine on holidays or to the waiting room at the Doctors but I can take my hand sewing! The same with working in the evenings... small things you can do anywhere!

This is another thing that is surprisingly easy when you know how! Also I am focusing on roses but this stitch can be made into bees, bunnies and other creatures... and thing like little trains which are suitable for boys. I might get on to that later. Basically this stitch will help you with a lot of things.

Today I am just going to hopefully give some ideas of what you could do with Grub Roses.

I have worked a lot on baby clothes. I tend to add one rose in the middle of the neckline of little t shirts, under garments, one on the outset side of a baby sock or in the middle of a back pocket.
You do not need a lot. They are like a little kiss!
They look so sweet. In this way you can buy a ready made garment and just add a touch of embroidery and it is a lovely gift. Or make the whole garment of course if you want.

Currently I have been working the crochet edgings on face washers, hand towels and bath mats.
On a face washer or bath mat I will just work on rose in one corner. That is enough and looks right.

On a hand towel or bath towel I will work a little line of flowers on one end and centre them so that when the towel is hanging up it shows nicely.

I have worked a lot of baby sheets and wraps and the edge of pillowcases. 

You can make little clusters and fill in the gaps with simple french knots.

Using wool instead of cotton you can work these and other roses on wool fabric so then you have things like rugs, water bottle covers, children coats etc.

I made my Nanna a pink rug like this one Christmas. It had rose sprays in each corner and a wreath in the middle. She really liked it!

There are just so many applications. I hope I am convincing you how useful they are!

I have worked quite a lot of cushions and pillow covers.  You become kind of addicted lol and this led me to ribbon embroidery which I might also add some tutorials on sometime soon.

I cannot tell you how much fun it is! The basics really do get you started and take you a long way.

Babies in the family really do give you extra chances to use your embroidery but all of us would probably love touches of ribbons and roses on night gowns, linen etc.

Now we are at the end of the month! You know what that means! Its time for Show and Tell! I already have some great photos that have come in!
We would love to see what you have made or what you are working on!  These posts have given us all heaps of ideas and inspiration.
You can post on the Bluebirds Facebook page or email me at brinkzi21@hotmail.com

Do you embroider or would you like to give it a try?

I hope you are having a wonderful week! To the South Australians stay inside and stay safe!xxx