Success?? And a bit of progress.

Here is the result of 12+ hours in a sink full of Dawn....

I *think* it came clean!! I know the color looks a little different from the first "finished" picture I posted, but that was done with the scanner, and this is a camera pic. The fabric didn't lose TOO much color, I don't think (if you look at my first progress pic of it from a week or 2 ago, you might get a better idea of the fabric colors). I'm still a little nervous about storing it with any other fabrics, though. Hmmm. I wanted to make it into a little pillow....maybe I'll do that, and it will just live on a shelf instead of in my pillow bin.

Saturday I got my package from Stitching Bits & Bobs, and it gave me just the push I needed to stitch some more! First, I started Just Nan's "Wintry Mix". Her little geometric designs just make me so happy....and when I mentioned this out loud, DH tried to give me a long psychological explanation of the human attraction to symmetry (which I understand and DO believe, BTW!). I love him, but sometimes he needs to leave work/school out of my stitching..... LOL

I also put in some time with the Celtic wedding sampler. I love the look of the design, but I'm beginning to despise the work that is necessary to create it! It is coming along, though. However, I've decided this will be the only "wedding gift" piece I'm doing this year. The second wedding I'd planned to stitch for -- my brother-in-law's -- I'm going to give them a "rain check" for something they'd like stitched. I don't want to get it wrong, you know? And since BIL's fiancee is a crafter, I'm sure she will appreciate the work I do (she is one who got the "Here Be Dragons" cube for Christmas, which she tells me is now displayed with her Anne McCaffrey "Pern" books). And it will totally take the heat off me, so I can get back to the Mermaids and other ME stitching. Yay!