Tilly Walnes

Hi, I'm Tilly, the founder and director of Tilly and the Buttons, the multi-award-winning sewing pattern company on a mission to make sewing your own clothes accessible and enjoyable for more people.

We are known for our easy-to-use sewing patterns, which come with refreshingly clear instructions and photos of each step, to help you to create adorable clothes you’ll feel proud to say you made yourself - even if you’re a new stitcher!

I'm also the author of three bestselling sewing books - 'Love at First Stitch: Demystifying Dressmaking', 'Stretch: Make Yourself Comfortable Sewing with Knit Fabrics', and 'Make It Simple: Easy, Speedy Sewing Projects to Stitch Up in An Afternoon'.

I've been writing and teaching about sewing for over a decade. Before that, I worked in education and training for the film industry. There is nothing more fulfilling to me than creating courses and learning resources that are inspiring, packed full of tips, and that pre-empt crafters' questions!

I started sewing in 2010 after getting an urge to do something creative with my hands after work. I fell head over heels in love with the process of dreaming up a design in my head, cutting out a flat piece of fabric, and turning it into a 3D wearable form. I started my popular blog tillyandthebuttons.com shortly afterwards, and later decided to combine my expertise in creating learning resources with my passion for DIY fashion to rethink sewing patterns for the new generation of crafters. I took some courses in pattern making and professional sewing techniques at the London College of Fashion, and started making patterns to share from kitchen table. Shortly afterwards I signed my first book deal and quit my day job to pursue my new venture! Tilly and Buttons is now a team of wonderful women working from a studio in South London.

You can find our patterns, books and online workshops at shop.tillyandthebuttons.com, and a ton of free tutorials on our blog tillyandthebuttons.com. We also share tips and inspiration on our social platforms @tillybuttons.

I hope my courses on Domestika will give you a joyful experience of sewing your own clothes. Ready to sew? Let's go!