Strange Brew

Today is  a bit shorter post than most of mine as I am awaiting the call that our Huevos Rancheros is ready to eat! In Spanish, it's Ranch Eggs.

Huevos Rancheros

Just saute anything that is hanging around too long in the refrigerator for about 5 or 6 minutes in some canola oil, and then dump your egg/milk mixture on top to continue making scrambled eggs.

This particular batch had two cooked breakfast pork sausages leftover from yesterday, plus two leftover cooked hot dogs from supper, one green bell pepper and a bunch of green onions or scallions. It was delicious!

My other strange kitchen adventure was quilty. It was concerning two plain white fat quarters that had been stored way too long from back before five years ago when I was still a chain smoker. Alas, the folds showed ugly yellow stains even after a good washing. I decided that they were a good candidate for tea staining.
Also, the other items that I was very unhappy with were some signature blocks that I had made for a swap but then I had decided to leave that group.
So I mixed up a pot of leftover stale coffee and leftover stale tea, added enough water to cover and threw the fabrics into the pot.

I let it come to a burbling boil and then turned it down to simmer, stirring occasionally. The pot simmered for twenty minutes, then I flipped all the fabrics over in the pot and gave it another twenty minutes.

I didn't mind using my kitchen cookware because, after all, this was foodstuff that I was using and not true dyes. I have a large graniteware covered pot just for dying. I keep that out in the garage so that confused menfolk do not grab it mistakenly for cooking, LOL!

After placing the hot wet cloth with tongs into an enamel bowl, I rinsed the items thoroughly and hung them to dry in the tub.
It was a great success! Now the fat quarters look evenly tan and beautifully primitive.

The fabric that my tea-stained solid muslin is sitting on top of is a Jo Morton mini stripe by Andover and it is a very good comparison in this unretouched photograph.

Thank you so very much, Janet O., for your most helpful coaching on what to do!

Happy sewing!