WIP Wednesday June 7, 2023

 Earlier this week I started another layette set. I have some fleece with bees on it. This cardigan will go with it. I'm kind of winging this one (no pun intended) as I go. I picked three colors from the fabric and chose this stripe pattern, which I am liking very much.

That, and the bicycle cross stitch project are what's being worked on this week. I've finished the stitching. This is, by far, the dirtiest piece of fabric I've every had at the end of a project. There's even coffee spilled on one corner.

So I've washed it.

I wash my cross stitch by soaking in a sink of hot water with some Oxyclean in it. After it's soaked a few minutes or so, I swish it around a bit. Then I rinse it a couple times in a sink full of cool water. I squeeze it in a huge towel, then lay flat to dry somewhere safe from the cats.

Before I could wash Bicycle, though, I had to test the beads to make sure they were washable. Something I didn't think of before choosing the beads I would use. Not all bead colors are alike. Some beads are dyed, or painted inside, and can lose their color in water. Fortunately, all the colors I chose turned out to be waterproof. I am so relieved! I don't know what I'd have done if any of them weren't. Dry clean, I suppose. Next time, I test the beads before stitching.

Now that it's washed, I will frame it. I ordered a white frame and a beige mat. It arrived about 2 weeks ago, so I've got everything I need to do that. It's been awhile since I've framed a project, so I will look up some videos to remind me how to do it.

Weather has now turned hot. Just for a couple days. It's supposed to cool back down to the 70's later this week.

Live long and prosper. \\//