A little finishing...

This weekend I stitched this little pincushion design from Blackbird Designs' new book, Joyeux Noel. I had a scrap of some fabric, might have been Glenshee Scottish linen, in my stash, and I just chose Raspberry Parfait Sampler Threads, because it was laying around. The date I chose is one that Jenny Bean uses. I guess I just like the number. Barb and Alma said they sanded an area, and then darned an area back in using a piece of the linen thread from the side of their fabric. I didn't sand the fabric, but I did choose two areas to weave a little piece of linen thread back and forth. (Look below the bird on the left and above the bird on the right.) When I was done with it, I finished it into a pincushion using a piece of Civil War reproduction quilting fabric I picked up at a quilt show last year and about a cup and a half of ground walnut shells. It's pretty cool.

Well, then I decided with the new fabric and the very clean linen that it looked too neat and tidy, still. So, I got out a coffee cup and the instant coffee. I put about half a cup of water in the cup, put it in the microwave for two minutes, then added a small spoon of the instant coffee. Then I added another spoon of actual coffee grounds. Then I thought, "Do I really want to do this?" And before I could answer myself, I stuck the spoon in the mucky, hot mixture, scooped some up, and then dripped it on the piece. (You kind of have to approach this kind of decision like jumping in the pool -- just do it! It's the same inspiration that strikes when I feel I really need a hair cut right now, and why don't I give it a try?) The drips alone were not going to do it, I decided. So, I took a paper towel, dunked it in the coffee, soaked some of it up, and then started applying it on the piece. I blotted the entire front with coffee, then the back, too, because hey, what the heck? Then, I filtered out all but the grounds, and then threw the grounds on top of the piece in a few areas, mushing them down really good first, and walked away from it for a while. I came back about a half an hour later, brushed it off, then it was off for the next step.

I took out my hair dryer, because I couldn't wait to see how it would look dry. I'm sure my husband wondered, "What is she DOING?" I stood there and blew dry my pincushion, and as I did, it lightened up some, and the darker areas grew more pronounced. I love it, love it, love it! It's cuter in person, but I thought I'd show it off here.