What should I call this post?

Maybe...."Think Fast"; "The Importance of Contingency Planning"; "Holy @#$*/!"; "Adventures in Chemistry"? It's so hard to choose, they all apply. So here was the top of the quilt - finished.

Looks good, no? But not old enough.

I sacrificed a pot of coffee (decaf) and soaked the top for about an hour. Then....(insert ominous music here)

Like I said, holy *^$@<! The background fabric looked fine, but everything that had Stitch Witchery behind it stained, and sucked up the coffee like dye. After my initial shock, and disgust with my need to be a smart aleck, I did wonder whether or not the reaction would have been the same if I'd used cold coffee - but I don't think I'm curious enough about it to do an experiment. After an afternoon with a sponge brush and a bottle of bleach, I had this:

Well, that wouldn't do, so after a couple of washings and some fabric paint I ended up with something I really liked, and finished it up.

I am sorry that the pretty patterns I picked out got lost, but now it looks really, truly old, and like it has a good story to tell. The amazing part is that I'm finished on time, in spite of a very hot day when nothing got done, and what shall now be known as "the coffee incident". I hope my swapee likes it, I know that some folks don't appreciate my "creativity".

Comments

[Amy]

Wow! How creative are you, it is really sweet :)..I especially like the quilted sun and rays, plus the scalloped edges, very nice.

[stephanie s]

the edge is wonderful, as is the whole quilt. i admire you for not tossing into the trash when it came out of the coffee, i am pretty sure that is what i would have done... so, besides all that you did, you taught me something too.

[dorie]

wonderful! terrible! both you and quilt are craft survivors.

[Lisa K.]

I vote for the title, "Holy #$%)&!" because that's what I said when I saw Sue and Kitty. Talk about grace under pressure.

It looks really great now - perfect for your partner. Thank you for teaching us all a hard lesson!

[Michelle]

I physically cringed when I saw the post-coffee photo. I'm truly amazed you pulled it off. Great job, Rose.

[kristin]

i, for one, truly appreciate your creativity. not sure how you had the stamina to pull through this one...it might have been something that would have ended the project for me...but your result is wonderful! thanks for sharing your hardships.

[scribblesnbits]

I felt really bad when I saw the post coffee photos, but you managed to make it so lovely in the end! And who are these people that don't appreciate your creativity? I've never seen you turn out a bad thing yet! *best 1920s gangster impersination* "Youse wants me, I should maybe go straighten them outs." ;)

[futuregirl]

Great job pulling that one from the brink. :) It totally looks like it was discovered in some antique's drawer. Perfect! I'm sure your swap partner will love it. :) (p.s. don't let the bastards get you down. :))

[Claudia]

I really love it! Sometimes accidents turn out to be our best friends! This one turnd out to be GREAT!

[bitter Betty]

Man, what a challenge. Grace under pressure. I tossed some tea dyeing experiments awhile back. Hard to know how those thins are going to go.

The end result is perfectly aged though. Kudos!

[Ashley]

You are a champ--I would have set it on fire out of sheer frustration!

[Diane Duda]

Yipes! But it turned out perfect in the end.

It's funny that you call it the coffee incident. Josh has had both a "ketchup incident" and a "root beer incident". His are both about lack of focus and not quite as scary as yours. Just messy. And funny.

I'm sure your partner will love it.

[Polly Hope]

Well all you people admiring....it's in my possession and it is really pretty in real life.
I must admit to laughing (not at you you understand), this is the kind of thing I would do. Except I don't think I would have had the patience to come through the other end without a black bin bag being involved.
But I thank you so much and will say for future reference, I do drink very very weak coffee.

[mathea]

That's what I'd call a lucky accident - the end result is really great!

[Bron]

I really like the end result! Well done for perservering through the process - the colour wash look of the little girl is great! Sounds like your swap partner likes it too.

[Hanna]

Who wouldn't appriciate all that work? The end result is fantastic - I think it is georgeous!!!

[Muralimanohar]

Wow..I think it looks better WITH the coffee than if it hadn't had it!! Good save!

[Misty]

I love the finished product, and the fact that you turned a "disaster" into something so pretty!