I created a new pincushion using a beautiful piece of red glass and a colorful floral fabric designed by Nathalie Lété for Free Spirit Fabrics. You can watch it on Youtube!

This piece of glass has an interesting heritage.
Here are some facts:
–Original Coin Glass pattern created in 1892 by Central Glass Co.
–Genuine U.S. coins were used to replicate coins on glass
–5 months after production began the U.S. Treasury declared that the coin reproduction was counterfeiting and violated federal law
–All molds and inventory were destroyed
–Fostoria produced coin glass from 1957-1982
–Coins are simulated and do not represent real coins
–Coins have a matte finish created through an acid treatment that frosts the coins 

Information available at Historical Glass Museum.

Another interesting fact about this glass is its red color! To produce red glass, either gold and/or selenium is added to the molten glass. Gold and selenium are colloidal particles, which suspend in the glass once it cools and hardens, then refract and scatter light creating color. Gold conveys a ruby red color and selenium gives a pink to red color. You can read more about this at Compound Interest.

Happy quilting and crafting! ▶︎ ▶︎ ▶︎