London's Calling........

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London has been calling around here lately. Big time!!!!

We love the Olympics!

I am hopelessly smitten with Downton Abbey.
I have watched both season's now.... So, I am in heavy withdrawals. Anxiously anticipating it's return to PBS in January.

I have "Union Jack" pillows and "Carry On" quilt dreams circling in my head.

(found on Flickr)

(From Fat Quarterly)

Oh!.....I cannot get the song "London Calling " by the Clash out of my head. If you would like it in your head ....or ear. CLICK HERE

I even woke up this morning craving scones..... Now, if that's not the literal definition of London Calling, I ask you, What is ?

What to do? {sigh}

Well, I guess I will bake my favorite Blueberry Scones And serve them with Sweet Lemon Butter.
Sound Good??

Look Good ??

Then Bake with me!!!

This post has a lot of pics. I must have been in a pic taking mood:)

Recipe for My Scones......

Ingredients

• 2 cups  flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 or so cups of blueberries
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/3 cup half and half , plus more for brushing the tops
• 2 big eggs
• Some sugar crystals for sprinkling ( or just sugar)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.


(If it looks like I have more ingredients , It's because I have to double for the large family...)

Measure your flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Give it a good stir.

Cut your very cold butter in pieces like so...

Grab a pastry cutter. ( Yes, that is what that funny looking thing is for ). You can also use a big fork. My Granny did. Or, two knives. Never tried that. But, I hear it works.

Cut your butter into your dry mix until it resembles wet sand and tiny lumps. Can you see it ?

Fold in your blueberries. Be very carful not to smash them.

Whip your eggs and half & half together. Make a well in your dry mix. Pour liquid into dry.

Carefully and gently fold until it all comes together. No more. The less you handle the dough ......
the fluffier the scone. And the trick here is ... don't break the berries.

Dump your mixture onto a floured surface and collect into a nice ball.

  Gently pat our into a square about an inch and a half thick.

  Flour a knife or scrapper .

  Cut into triangles. I am pretty haphazard at this part. I just    go for it. I like random.

Put your cute lil' triangles on a buttered baking sheet.

Brush tops with half and half.

Sprinkle with sugar.

Pop your pretty babies into your heated oven.

In about 30 minutes ..... you have these beauties!!!! 
I opened the oven and could here blueberries popping. Mmmmmmmmm. 

Now to serve them. 
Some people like to put a lemon glaze on them. Which works well if you are going to serve them later or take them to a party. 

But here ....We serve them up hot. With Sweet Lemon Butter. Oh Man!! Heaven. 

                             Sweet Lemon Butter

Ingredients

1 stick softened butter
1 lemon ( to zest and juice)
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

   
 Gather your ingredients. And a juicer, zester, bowl and mixer.

Zest about half the skin of the lemon.

Juice the entire lemon.

Add powdered sugar,zest and strained juice to a bowl.

Then your softened butter.

Whip until it is light and very fluffy.

Put in a pretty dish with a proper serving knife.

Grab hot scone.

Spread on lemon butter. Watch melt..... eat and smile.

I Took My Quilt for a Walk.......

I would have to say...........She is a bit of a ham!!   
She insisted I shoot her from every angle. 
And that I show off her color and scrumptious texture.She knows it's the texture that really gets us all to snuggle up to her. She even got a little naughty and showed off her backside. Scandalous .............
Just the way I like it.

The Beginning .........

American Girl Doll got Shorts....

                     Shorts and a off the shoulder top !!!

I used a "Nakey Baby " Peasant top pattern from this post. 

And a Free pants pattern from Milo Mila.

The shirt was a little tricky but the shorts took 10 min. 

Little Miss loves her dolls new outfit!!!

Here goes a quick tutorial.

Cut front and back pieces from the peasant top pattern. You will only need to cut 1 sleeve. I cut the front and back one inch longer for the AG doll.

Sew on the 1 sleeve. (Directions in the Nakey Baby Post.) Then slice a line from both front and back like shown. I just eyeballed it. Then sew the side seam under the sleeve.

  I cut a 1 1/2 inch wide piece of fabric long enough to wrap the entine neck line. Ruffled it a little.

then hemed it .

..........with a itty bitty hem.

Here is where it got tricky.... I sewed the ruffle on the neck line.Right side of ruffle to wrong side of neck line. Sorry, I don't have a pic of these steps....I was busy cursing a little. Anyway,

you turn the ruffle to the front and iron. Once that is done, sew a casing 1/4 inch from the neckline. Insert elastic and tighten up until it looks like it will fit the doll your working with. Then sew up the other side seam. That will also secure your elastic. Hem your top and your done.

                                                              Now for the shorts. 

I had some jean pant legs lying around from making cut offs for summer.

I though they would make great doll shorts.

One seasons pants. Make the next seasons shorts......and shorts for the doll :)

Download and print the pants pattern.

Cut both pant legs open leaving the best looking (usually the outer) seam in the center.

Lay wrong sides together.

Lay the pattern on the old pant legs like shown.

Using the hem of the pant legs for the hem of the doll shorts. Nice short cut right? Pardon the pun.

Follow sewing instructions for the doll pans. And there you have it.......10 minute doll shorts.

So there you have it ...a quickie AG dolly outfit.

Now on to a matching top for the owner of this dolly.

All Nakey Baby Patterns Found Here !!!

Fluffs for Faces...........

   Got Scraps? Maybe a random charm pack lying around?

Great, Here is a plan. Face Fluffs!!

What is a Face Fluff you ask? Well it is a alternative to that harsh wash cloth you wash your face with. With all the sensitive teen and preteen complexions we have around here they are a perfect fit!!

They are so soft and scrumptious ......we will never go back to the old wash cloth.

What to make some?

First you are going to need some fabric scraps. I cut 6 inch squares. But 5 inch charms will work also.

Then you will need some cotton batting ....like Warm and Natural. Again, cut in squares, the size of your fabric. Here is the only special fabric you will need. cotton knit sherpa. I have a few yards lying around from my diaper making days. (Finally found a great reason to use it up). You can buy it at Nature's fabric , DiaperFab  , Diaper Cuts  and there is always listings on Ebay and Etsy.

I love sherpa!!! It is sooooooo soft!!

You can also use soft cotton interlock or stretch terry. I used it before, it is not as soft....But still works well. The knit is important because it stretches in the wash and releases stains and dirt better than woven. Whatever you use....cut it in squares also.

Okay, Everything cut in squares???

Let's go......

You are going to lay down a layer of batting, then a square of sherpa/interlock soft side up. Then your pretty fabric , pretty side facing down toward the fluffy side of your sherpa/interlock.

Very Important. Sandwich your knit between the woven and the batting!!! 

That way it won't get stretched out of shape while you sew.

Sew a seam all around the edge. Leaving an 1 1/2 inches un-sewn for turning inside out. Make sure you turn just between the woven and the knit. Leaving the batting in the middle.

Sew up a bunch ...because you will love them :)

You can sew all around the edge to close the opening and finish the square. On some I did this.....and on others I just sewed the hole shut. I think by just closing the hole makes it looks puffier.....I think it's a preference.

I sewed a little detail on each of fabrics to make it quilty soft and pretty.

This also keeps the batting from shifting in the wash. You can sew just an x or straight lines.

Here is one done by just closing the opening. A little puffier look.

Doesn't that Sherpa look scrumptious ??

All the pretties..........

This is a basket full of Fluffs!! 

 I am putting this one by the girls sink. Enough for a whole week of  super soft skin cleansing. I also am hanging a lingerie/laundry bag on the doorknob of their bathroom.They can just toss in the dirties. So, on laundry day I can grab the bag. Toss it in the sink, give it a soak. A little vinegar in the soak will get rid of any icky. Then in the wash.

I don't even have to fold them...Just stack and stuff in the basket.

Notes:

If you want to  use little scraps and get really creative.... you could make little 6 inch quilt blocks , string blocks would be cute.

I think a stack of these for a preteen girlie would be a nice gift. With a drawstring bag and a bottle of gentle face wash. She would be getting a great gift that will promote good daily habits...... And they are Pretty!!! 

They also make excellent baby wash clothes. Teacher gift??? I can think of a hundred ways to gift them. 

Don't want to sew some.....

That's okay. I will list some on my Etsy Shop for ya !!! 

If they are not listed shoot me a email. I sew to please :)