Category: Tilda

Challenges & SALs, Finishes, Mill Hill, Sewing, Tilda, WIPocalypse

WIPocalypse – April 2026

Anne S

Another month without a big number of projects being worked on, and after completing over 1,000 stitches on one big project I’ve decided to scrap it and start again … oops.

Sewing finishes

I managed one small finish this month as a practice piece for me … I came across two squares of ‘printing samples’ from a fabric order about 7 years ago and rather than try to find a home for it I decided it would be perfect to create a small basket try with Kam snaps. I still have two more squares to use up yet – I’m just awaiting inspiration for those 😉

My finish sewing finish for this month was completing an older (2020) sewing kit called the Little Box of Creativity by Kitty Rose Cottage. These monthly mystery kits contain all the fabric that you need for the project, and you just have to supply the sewing machine and thread usually. This project’s pattern was called Market Day Bag, and it’s an awesome size tote bag! I’m going to use this one for my crochet WIPs I think, but I definitely see myself making more of these, the size is awesome – of course my versions will use my favourite blue/teal fabrics, and I’ll leave off the lace and felt flowers in the next ones. Such a great project!

Next up I decided to put the final stitches into these two items from back in 2020 – the mannequin pomander only needed the bottom closure to be sewn up (!), and the lavender wardrobe sachet was waiting for the embroidery to be done before I could sew it all together. I still have one more lavender sachet waiting in the wings, but that’ll be for another day.

Stitching progress:

Sea View by Luca-S – I managed to reach 20% completion of this project before deciding I’m not happy with it, and really want to stitch it over-one on 28ct fabric instead of the Aida in the kit. So far now it’s been put aside until I cut out a piece of fabric and start again, then it’ll regularly continue to be my focus piece for the year. This is the stopping point for me.

Finch Song by Shepherd’s Bush – After putting Sea View aside, I turned to Finch Song for the remaining challenges for the month. While this hasn’t been my favourite one to stitch, thanks to not much variation in the green threads and the cream disappearing on the fabric etc, I’m already hankering to start another Shepherd’s Bush sampler kit …

Stitching is the Berries – I actually made some progress on this one in January, but forgot to post about it, so I’ve included it here for my own records. Those berries were taking me forever to work on so I decided to take a break from it – I really should get back to it again, because it’s sooooo close to a finish now, I think it’s just the berries, a handful of queen stitches, and my initials left to go.

2024 Mirabilia Retreat Mermaid – I managed to work on a bit of her hair this month. I’ve managed to mislay my skein of Bermuda Reef silk so her hair is the only focus for now. I swear sometimes I live in the Bermuda Triangle, I’m forever losing things!

Stitching question

What is your oldest WIP? Tell us a little bit about it.

I’d probably say it’s Mediterranean Scene from an old magazine – started in 1998. I was never happy with the colours of the blue shutters etc and it just fell into the UFO basket. Now the projects are so much more realistic these days I wonder if I’ll ever finish it. Perhaps if I add a bunch of embroidery stitches to give it a little more depth and texture I might like it a bit more. I’m thinking if I did that perhaps it’d work as the front of a zippered project bag or a tote bag – not sure. Then again, another part of me just wants to just ditch it and use what time I have to work on other projects that bring me joy … I wonder which side of me will eventually win out?

Tilda

Tilda sewing updates

Anne S

I recently joined a Tilda project bag exchange, and this is the pair of project bags that I created for my exchange partner – one larger one and a smaller one that can be used inside the main bag or for smaller projects. My partner’s favourite ranges were pinks/greens so I was pushed outside my comfort zone, and ended up ordering some older ranges from the UK that I wanted to use for the main fabrics.

I also caught up with the Cali & Co mystery quilt-along by Coriander Quilts, after not being well enough to sew for a few months. I was originally going to make these into a queen sized bed quilt, but considering just keeping to the original QAL size instead – I guess I’ll need to officially decide in December after seeing all the blocks finished.

Quilting & Sewing, Tilda

Tilda patchwork project bag

Anne S

While I was on a roll with making project bags I decided to finish making the final one today. As it used the last piece of Pellon in my stash, I’ll need to wait for a while now to make more.

I’m really thrilled that all the 2″ squares came from my Tilda scrap bags, and the only pieces of fabric that came from my stash were for the top and back panels and the lining. I’m so very thrilled with this one, it’s definitely my absolute favourite of them all. I can definitely see me making more of these in the future! This one is a big bigger than the others, which will be more useful for my canvaswork WIPs.

Quilting & Sewing, Tilda

Koala project bag

Anne S

I decided to try a different type of interfacing for this bag as an experiment, and it was an epic fail that I won’t repeat. BUT even with all that, I’m in love with this project bag – I love everything about it: especially the predominantly mint colourway, the smaller patchwork block sizes. This one just makes me happy to look at it! It was great fun rummaging through my vintage Tilda scraps to find coordinating fabrics that worked with the critter panel.

Koala quilted project bag
Sewing, Tilda

Windy Walk Project Bag

Anne S

I’m excited that I’ve managed to start and finish another old kit project from Kitty Rose Cottage. These Little Boxes of Creativity offer a great variety of projects in Tilda fabrics, and really worthwhile – the only reason I cancelled is because I was amassing too many kits during a time I wasn’t sewing anymore. It’s great that I’m finally finding the time and motivation to work through them.

This was the “Windy Walk project bag” kit, and my first attempt at doing hand quilting – my goodness, I have so much empathy for those who hand stitch full quilts, it’s very time consuming, although rewarding at the end. It was great to try this technique out on a smaller scale before committing to a quilt.

I’m not a huge fan of pink fabrics, and I loved that Dawn sent enough squares in the kit that I could leave out the squares that were predominantly pink. I’ve always loved the red fabric with teal flowers in this range, and I think the teal and red colours help to offset the pink so it’s less prominent (also really happy that the lining in the kit was teal, so that helped me to embrace it haha). I’m super thrilled overall with this finish – and super chuffed with myself that I’m getting back into sewing again!

Tilda, WIPGO

Sewing WIPGO number 20

Anne S

Now my stitching mojo has returned a bit, I’m attempting to join the WIPGO Challenge again this year. So far so good, I’m managing to give some love to each of the projects called – both in my Stitching and Sewing WIPGO boards.

I’m also trying to keep track in a digital planner this year to help keep me motivated, and it’s great to be able to quickly jot down notes into the planner on my iPad … I just have to remember to go into the planner in the first place LOL.

#20 on my sewing board was to complete the Sewing Day Tote Bag that was a Tilda Lovers Group sew-along project in 2020 which I was unable to complete. I loved being able to tick this one off of the list of those backlog classes, and I look forward to doing some more as the months go on this year. Here’s my finished project – I changed it slightly by changing the fabric choices to cool tones (all Tilda fabrics), and I didn’t add the stitchery panel that’s supposed to go on the front of the bag, but added another two columns of squares instead.

The next project that was called is the “Be my valentine hanging scrappy heart” project from the same sew-along. Hopefully I’ll manage to get that one completed by the end of January as well – I’m loving getting my sewing machine out again after a 4-year hiatus!

Cartonnage, Quilting & Sewing, Tilda

Tilda exchange

Anne S

I joined an exchange for the first time – I hadn’t touched my sewing machine in almost 4 years, and I found it a struggle I’ll be honest. Then when I was made redundant in the last month of prepping for the exchange I just didn’t have the headspace available to finish the last couple of homemade gifts that I wanted to include. I’m still proud of what I managed to achieve, but it wasn’t the exchange gift I wanted to send. I may still complete the remaining two items in the new year and send on to my recipient, though.

These are photos of what I sent to my exchange partner – the criteria was to send something in each of the following 5 categories/themes:

  • Something special for the recipient
  • A small doily or table runner
  • Something for the sewing room
  • A Christmas ornament
  • Something to eat

Something special

A small doily or table runner

Something for the sewing room

A Christmas ornament

Something to eat