Betty!!!!

Hot on the heels of Bess, her little friend Betty. She is made of yummy gingery brown Rowan Handknit cotton. Because girls will be girls, has a stripey dress and t-bar shoes just like Bess but in shades of mint and blue. She is in the etsy shop too.

Bess has Arrived

              New in the shop today click this link. Not much else to say there.

Another Finished Quilt aka UFO

This windmill quilt  was started almost a year ago and in fact, the piecing was finished within weeks. I could not face machine quilting, as my old girl is a bit temperamental. I have quite a thing about quilting and would dearly love a machine that was better for it.  Having not hand quilted before, I was a bit daunted.  I started the quilting at Christmas and will always think of it as the `Upstairs Downstairs quilt` as much of it was worked on whilst watching the new one last year in peace (with tia maria and cashew nuts) as no one else wanted to watch it. I have just quilted in the ditch for my first hand quilting attempt.  It is by no means perfect but I am really pleased with it. Not sure at this point whether to sell it or keep it, so it has a place upsatirs in the sewing room until I decide.

The Gluten Free Scone recipe was a Success

Following on from the cheese scone recipe a few posts ago. I am glad to say, the principle worked for sweet too.  Here`s the recipe.

8oz Glutafin Select Multipurpose Mix (this is the one I have used and will update if it works with another)


1 teaspoon xantham gum

2 teaspoons Baking powder

pinch salt (omit this if you only have salted butter)

2oz unsalted butter

About half a 284ml tub buttermilk

Approx 2ox sultanas

1ox caster sugar.



1. Sift flour, xantham, baking powder, and salt .

2. Rub in the butter until breadcrumb like.

3.Gently mix in the sugar and sultanas.

Now carefully add enough buttermilk to make a soft but not too sticky dough. Knead a little until smoothish.

When baking normal scones it is ill advised to knead the dough very much as it makes the dough tight, but the gluten free mix does benefit from a little kneading.

4. I personally never use a rolling pin for scones. At this point, I gently press out to about 3 quarters of an inch thick and cut out with cutters.

5. Now pop on a baking sheet (I love silicone for this as it never sticks). Glaze the top with a light coat of the buttermilk .
 
Bake for about 15 mins at 200 degrees centigrade until risen and golden brown.  These were so soft and springy, I was in seventh heaven.
 

A Finished UFO at Last. Oh boy was it a wait

I have been concentrating on getting some of those unfinished objects (UFO for all you that have not heard that term already).  Not seeing aliens spaceships.  I cut out this patchwork blanket way back in March last year after completing this one.  As usual, I got distracted by other exciting things to make and although it has been pieced for quite some time, I never quite got to finishing it. It consists of both new fabrics and some reclaimed shirting (some quality brands in there as I recall).  Now, a purchase of one piece of soft polar fleece, 70 dotty spotty buttons and only 2 evenings work, it is ready to go.  Who would have thought it was that close?  It is not a quilt per-say, but a patchwork blanket.  It is machine pieced on the front, but backed with snuggly soft polar fleece for comfort and warmth, and held together with  hand sewn buttons instead of top quilting to keep the softness of the fleece.  It just covers most of the top of a single bed and is the perfect snuggle blanket for chilly days or in the car for a little one (not under 3`s because of the buttons. I have no little ones any longer so it will be in the shop very soon.  Just need to properly measure it and price it up. Now I have to find all the receipts for all the components!  That will teach me to leave things halfway.

Imagine if you will, the look on my teenage sons` face when he came home to find this on his bed.  Not impressed, I can tell you.  Its the only single bed in the house!

I finally get the Mr. on the blog and he hides behind the quilt. Hey its a start!  Gotta love human quilt hangers.

70 hand sewn  buttons I will have you know!!!

So snuggly. I love mine on a chilly evening. ......and the odd lazy afternoon.

Gluten free Cheese scone Recipe.

Of late, we have been having homemade soups for lunch on Sundays. Preferring our roast in the evening.
This week we had Golden Ham & Vegetable.  To accompany, I made some cracking (if I say so myself) cheese scones.  I have always had trouble with gluten free scones. My regular ones are usually just as scones should be, but the GF ones end up more like rock cakes no matter what I try. So for the benefit of any other struggling gluten free cooks and myself when I cannot remember what the heck I did, i am going to share my recipe.  I am sorry but I don't do grams at home so its ounces.

8oz  Glutafin Select Multipurpose Mix  (this is the one I have used and will update if it works with another)
1 teaspoon xantham gum
2 teaspoons Baking powder
pinch salt  (omit this if you only have salted butter)
pinch cayenne pepper
2oz unsalted butter
About half a 284ml tub buttermilk
Approx 2ox grated mature cheddar cheese.

1. Sift flour, xantham, baking powder, salt and cayenne.
2. Rub in the butter until breadcrumb like.
3.Gently mix in the cheese, leaving a little for the tops.
Now carefully add enough buttermilk to make a soft but not too sticky dough. Knead a little until smoothish.
When baking normal scones it is ill advised to knead the dough very much as it makes the dough tight, but the gluten free mix does benefit from a little kneading.
4. I personally never use a rolling pin for scones. At this point, I gently press out to about 3 quarters of an inch thick and cut out with cutters.
5. Now pop on a baking sheet  (I love silicone for this as it never sticks). Glaze the top with  a light coat of the buttermilk and then sprinkle with a little cheese for a nice cheesey crust.

6. Bake at 200 degrees  centigrade for about 15 mins until risen (hopefully this wasn't a one off or I will look daft) and browned.

Let me know if you try it. I am going to see if this principle works on fruit ones this week, so watch this space.

New Bunny and a sneaky peek at WIP

I nearly forgot to show this little lady off on the blog.  I listed her in the etsy shop.  She is sitting on the zig zag quilt I have piecing.  It was sheer luck that I left her in the right place and then noticed they were made for each other. Totally happy co-incidence and not planned at all.  When the backing arrives I will get on with the quilting.  Anyway, here is little Brigitte

I had a little sort out in the craft room and have decided to scale down the yarn stash a bit. I have several lots of beautiful textured and novelty yarns listed at very reasonable prices in a new section called Destash Bargains. Do go and have a peek. A lot of them were purchased from the states so may be hard to get hold of here. I buy way too much yarn and only really knit my critters at the moment. All of them ship free with another purchase so if you feel like emptying the section its a worthwhile bargain.