Matilda Fabric Tour – A Sweet Nod to Nostalgia

Greetings, friends! I’m so excited to be joining the Matilda Fabric Tour, featuring Matilda, a delightful new collection designed by Terri Henson for Poppie Cotton. This line instantly stole my heart with its bright and beautiful blend of nature-inspired prints and timeless charm.

Matilda is full of vintage florals, fluttering butterflies, tone-on-tone designs, and classic geometrics that evoke a lovely sense of nostalgia. The color palette is equally charming—pretty pinks and reds, cheerful yellows and whites, soft teals, and leafy greens—all coming together to create a fresh and playful collection that’s perfect for quilting, crafting, and sewing projects of all kinds.

For my stop on the tour, I created several projects using Matilda, all of which are original designs made specifically to showcase this beautiful fabric line.

Tulip Table Runner

The first project is my Tulip Table Runner, made from my own pattern, Tulip Table Runner & Alphabet House Mug Rugs. The finished size is 33.5” x 12.5”, making it a perfect accent piece for a table, sideboard, or dresser.

This runner combines fusible appliqué with traditional piecing, allowing the Matilda prints to really shine. The soft florals and gentle colors pair beautifully with the tulip shapes, giving the piece a sweet, spring-inspired feel. I used Country Confetti for the sashing, border, and binding, which adds just the right amount of contrast while still keeping everything cohesive.

If you love floral appliqué and enjoy projects that come together quickly but still make an impact, this runner is a joy to stitch.

Alphabet House Mug Rugs

Next up are two Alphabet House Mug Rugs, also from the Tulip Table Runner & Alphabet House Mug Rugs pattern. Each mug rug finishes at 9.5” x 6.5” and features fusible appliqué.

These little houses are full of charm and make such fun, functional décor. A tiny ¼” button is used for each doorknob, adding a touch of whimsy and dimension. I used Country Confetti for the background, which allows the Matilda prints to stand out while keeping the overall look soft and inviting.

These mug rugs are perfect for gifting, seasonal decorating, or adding a little handmade happiness to your afternoon snack.

Rosy Zippered Pouch

The final project is my Rosy Zippered Pouch, an original design created especially for this tour. This pouch measures 9.5” x 6.5” x 3.5”, making it a great size for storing sewing notions, cosmetics, or everyday essentials. There isn’t a pattern for this project—I simply made it up as I went along, letting the Matilda fabrics guide the design and details along the way.

One of my favorite details on this pouch is the hand-dyed lace from Lady Dot Creates featured between the patchwork and the focal fabric—it adds such a lovely vintage touch that pairs beautifully with the Matilda collection. I also created a 3-D wool felt rose embellishment (using Benzie Design Wool Blend Felt), finished with a ¼” button in the center, for a bit of extra texture and charm. A red tab zipper pull completes the look.

The back and lining are made with Country Confetti, tying everything together and giving the pouch a polished finish inside and out.

A Perfect Collection for Creative Sewing

Matilda is truly a joy to sew with. The prints mix effortlessly, the colors are uplifting, and the overall feel is both nostalgic and fresh. Whether you’re making home décor, small gifts, or quilts, this collection offers endless creative possibilities.

I’d love to see what you create! If you stitch with Matilda, please share your projects in the comments or tag me on social media so I can cheer you on. And be sure to visit the Poppie Cotton blog for even more inspiration from the rest of the Matilda Fabric Tour—there are so many beautiful projects to see.

If Matilda has captured your heart, be sure to stop by your local quilt shop or your favorite online quilt store and ask for it—it’s shipping to shops this month. While you’re shopping, take a look at Country Confetti, which makes a perfect choice for linings and backgrounds.

Thank you for visiting my stop on the Matilda Fabric Tour! I hope these projects have inspired you to pull out your sewing machine and stitch something that brings a little happiness to your day.

Happy sewing and creating!

Photograph Friday

Tonight, I thought I would give you a glimpse at what is inspiring me this week...this is just a small sampling of the photos I snapped since my last post - most were taken on my 3-Day training walks...and a couple were taken on the fourth of July while we were out on a friend's boat for the holiday. It is no secret that the outdoors sparks my creativity...so my daily walks find me with tons of inspiration for new designs. Oh, and of course, since Schazti is my training partner, there are a couple photos of her, as well...

Of course, my sewing machine is humming along during the day...and I'm in my stitching nest each night working on the model for my exclusive fundraising design....I have a ton of creative endeavors in progress and I'll be back to share some of them with you very soon!

Annual Spring Tea at Ashton House

Today I spent the day with my dear friends Merry and Kimber - we had our annual springtime tea at Kimber's amazing home...a cozy 1885 farmhouse, which she lovingly refers to as Ashton House. Every visit to Kimber's beautiful home is such a treat! Merry and I arrived around 10:30 this morning....unpacked all our goodies and got comfortable in Kimber's lovely sitting room, where we spent a couple hours just laughing, catching up, and nibbling on a few delicious little treats. Around 12:30 we headed to the kitchen and dining room and prepared for our special lunch. Kimber provided the lovely ambiance, lots of finger food (including her delicious cucumber watercress sandwiches), and beverages...I provided a fresh fruit salad and my mini sticky buns...and Merry (our resident chef extraordinaire) provided us with a cornucopia of scrumptious delicacies, including: broccoli bacon quiche, deviled quail eggs (so adorable - just larger than a quarter), homemade scones with Meyer lemon curd, and beautiful peach raspberry kolaches. It was such an enjoyable, perfect lunch....and all the while, Poe, Kimber's big black cat was curled up in his royal bed taking an afternoon nap (isn't his "bed" spectacular?!)...

After lunch we chatted for quite some time and I gave Kimber (and Merry too) some tips on making twisted cord. Oh, and I forgot to mention, we all had a few gifts for each other...I brought each of them cute little packages I made from folded cardstock and ribbon that held teabags and cookies...and little packages of my mini sticky buns - Kimber gave us an adorable little wool covered/appliquéd tin with antique buttons inside (since Kimber might be adding these to her line, I can't share a picture with you just yet) along with a quilting book and a cooking magazine - and Merry brought each of us a "brunch box" with all sorts of goodies inside, including: homemade crumpets and a jar of her lemon curd, a jar of fresh local farmed honey, a cute mug, special handmade oatmeal soap and wooden soap dish, and a package of the cutest thank-you cards. While we were sitting in the dining room, I also managed to take a couple snapshots of Kimber's stunning handcrafted dolls...posing perfectly for the camera...

When it was time to leave, Kimber took us on a little tour of her gardens which are already green and will be blooming very soon (quite early for Iowa)...I need to go back in a month or so when it is in full swing and take photos for you, as her gardens are unbelievable! Kimber has the cutest yellow birdhouse emerging from a huge bed of Hosta plants that screams "welcome" to me as I pull in her driveway...she has a lovely fountain with water flowing...and there are a couple miniature cottages waiting to be put in their special places amongst the plants...quaint little details are found throughout the garden paths...I truly envy her gardening knowledge, skills, and green thumb...

It was a picture perfect day with my dear friends...and although my work plate is overflowing right now, I am so glad I took the day off to get recharged...it was just what I needed! I hope you have enjoyed your visit to our annual springtime tea...and that you have the chance to enjoy the company of your close friends...

The First Rose

Today has been a busy day...the new designs are all printed and I just got back from loading (and then unloading) 20 cases of printing....tonight will be a bagging frenzy! Sometimes things get so hectic I almost forget to enjoy everyday beauty...but this afternoon as I returned home, I noticed today's rain brought out my first blooming rose of the season....actually there were two blooming sided by side. Now to you, this might not seem interesting at all; however, I have never had much of a green thumb, so this is HUGE to me! I have also posted a photo of my beautiful blooming begonias hanging next to my front door. Take a moment to take in the beauty that surrounds you....