Celebrate a decade of designs from this iconic British pattern brand
Whether you voted for her in the British Sewing Awards, cheered her on during the first season of The Great British Sewing Bee, or have a stash of her patterns sitting in your craft corner, one thing’s for sure... you’ve probably heard of indie designer Tilly Walnes! Over the past ten years, Tilly has dedicated herself to the world of sewing patterns – encouraging stitchers of all skill levels to have fun with her easy, accessible and utterly irresistible dressmaking designs. From swimsuits and raincoats to maternity wear and lingerie, Tilly's prestigious pattern brand has something for everyone. To celebrate the ten-year anniversary of her very first pattern sale, Tilly sat down to discuss her journey to the top of the industry.
“In 2009, I signed up to a beginner sewing class on a whim, as I felt like trying out a new creative hobby. At the time, I had no idea if I would even continue sewing after the class, let alone start a crafty business that would completely take over my life (in a good way!). By the end of the session, I was hooked. I got a basic sewing machine for Christmas and spent all my waking hours either stitching, planning my projects, or daydreaming about my next sewing session. Jump to 2012 and I was appearing on the first ever season of The Great British Sewing Bee. I didn’t have many expectations, I just wanted to be part of something that would inspire more people to take up sewing. It was high pressure, which makes it very easy to get flustered and forget the basics – I find it so cringey watching the show back, but it was great fun and something to tell the grandkids about!
My sewing blog, tillyandthebuttons.com, had already taken off before I went on the show, and I had even been approached by publishers about writing my own books. I hadn’t shared my first pattern yet, but I decided to take the plunge after completing a series of courses at the London College of Fashion. My blog readers asked if I could publish one of my designs and I thought I would give it a go. I got the pattern professionally graded into different sizes, but apart from that, I did everything myself. I learnt to use Adobe Illustrator so I could format the pattern and create the technical drawings, I wrote the instructions in a word document then turned it into a downloadable PDF, and I even set up a payment system for my blog. It was all very DIY! I can still remember how it felt to click that ‘publish’ button and get my first sale a couple of minut
