Take a look at Tilly Walnes' latest Tilly and the Buttons pattern book, Mini Makes
Written by Cath Dean
Since launching onto the UK sewing scene over a decade ago with an appearance on series 1 of The Great British Sewing BeeTV series, Tilly Walnes’ mission has been to make dressmaking accessible to a new generation of sewists. Tired of confusing diagrams and patterns printed on thin tissue with a tendency to rip, Tilly completely rethought what sewing patterns could offer. Since then, Tilly and the Buttons has pioneered clear step-by-step photography, jargon-free instructions and, most importantly, fresh, trend-led designs that women want to make and wear.
With three successful books behind her and countless women’s patterns, Tilly is now turning her attention to children’s clothing with the launch of her latest title, Mini Makes. Featuring six core patterns designed for children aged between 0-12 years, each item has multiple customisation options to make completely unique pieces for the littles in your life.
WEARABLE DESIGNS
“I love making kids’ clothes, both as gifts for others and for my own children,” says Tilly. “It’s such a fun process stitching together little pieces of fabric, adding cute embellishments, and imagining them wearing them.
“Children’s patterns can be hit and miss, so I wanted to create quality patterns with wearable designs and comprehensive instructions. The original plan was to release the patterns individually, but Team Buttons convinced me that it would work better to put them together into a book, with more guidance and options for variations – and they were right!”
Wearability has always been at the heart of Tilly and the Buttons collections, and this was more important than ever when creating children’s clothing. “The initial stages involved a fair bit of research, including establishing a size chart, and factoring in safety guidelines for childrenswear, such as avoiding potentially hazardous ties and drawstrings,” Tilly explains.
“I designed the projects to ensure they suit a wide range of ages, from babies to tweens, both in style and functionality. We adjusted skirt lengths for crawlers, and added shoulder openings to younger sizes to make it easier to dress babies and toddlers.
“Above all, we made sure the designs were practical – comfortable, washable, easy to get on and off, and non-restrictive so kids can run and play freely.”
CLOTHING MADE TO LAST
Tilly has first-hand experience of the importanc
