Dyeing to Start

I am about to start stitching my new pattern 'Bear Tree Forest' using DMC threads and fabric from my stash.

Upon investigation I discovered that my stash of fabric consisted of black, blue and cream aida of differing counts and 30 count cream linen. I've decided to use the cream linen for this project but I'm afraid that the snow won't show up. 

The solution, dye the linen slightly darker! 

I don't drink tea and so I decided to use coffee as a dye. I used two tablespoons of instant coffee in a sink of water for 15 minutes. I kept an eye on it because I didn't want the colour to go too dark. 

When I was happy with the colour I hand washed the fabric with a gentle soap and left it to dry on the line. This is the result....

The linen at the front is the linen dyed with coffee. The linen at the back with the edges stitched is the original colour. 

Hand washing the fabric before stitching has removed all trace of the smell of coffee and ensured that the colour doesn't run.

Now I am ready to cut the linen to size, blanket stitch the edges and start stitching.