For my Kitchen Hot Pad Swap

I wanted to whip this up fast and get it to its destination - the deadline to ship is April 15th but because mine has to travel so far, I have hoped to have it completed and sent by now. It seems all this hand sewing is addicting though as even though I now have power to my sewing machine - I just cannot seem to stop hand sewing! This swap is for a 16" x 10" kitchen hot pad.
Here is my progress so far:

My swap person is very adamant about not having any thing girly, frilly or soft. She even wrote not in full capital letters. I had a good chuckle when I saw it. Here is what I put in mine:
Color preference - Very open to all colors of the rainbow - but I do quite enjoy red, limy greens, grey, black and white, please advise exchange partner if they do not have any of these, to please just use the colors they have on hand, I am sure I will love it!
I hope that a partial Dresden will not be too much like a flower? She asked for neutral/ fall colors. Do you guys think I need to change anything? I think I may be making it too soft? I don't know but I want her to love it.
I think I will do this again for myself, only drop the bottom partial row of apple cores and do an antique lace trim around the three scalloped sides over the brown fabric in the dresden - I am so girly! 
Cheers,
Carolyn