Distressed Fabric

My next project, once Sunflowers 'N' Crows is finished, will be another freebie, this time from With Thy Needle and Thread.  It's another autumn crow design and you can see it here.  I thought it would be fun to try my hand at coffee dying some fabric, and after some fussing, here's my finished result. 

Yes, its all the same piece of 18 count Aida, which started out as Antique White.  I will be using a mix of DMC threads, some which the designer suggested, and some which I chose myself.  I didn't want to use the greens for the letters, so I pulled some browns and greys.  Once I begin stitching, I might change my mind, but that's the prerogative of the stitcher, right?

For anyone who loves to see pictures of other people's injuries, you can see what I did to my fingers here.  They're cleaned up nicely, so all you see is the cuts and the stitches .  I have to keep them bandaged, which is good since I hit them often!