MEET TEAM BUTTONS
Get to know Team Buttons - the gorgeous people behind the patterns, who work hard to bring our business dreams to life, helping you learn to sew your own clothes!
Director
Tilly Walnes
Tilly runs the company, overseeing strategy and creative direction. She is the author of four bestselling sewing books, and writes and presents instructions for our patterns, workshops and social media. Tilly has been named 'Most Inspirational Sewing Personality' in the British Sewing Awards and appeared on the first series of BBC2’s The Great British Sewing Bee in 2013. She has been writing about sewing since 2010 and has over 20 years’ experience of designing courses and learning resources. She is a Clore Fellow, and previously worked for the Independent Cinema Office, British Film Institute and V&A.
She is a mum to two little boys who keep her very busy when she's not working. Oh and she’s addicted to stripes.
Product Manager
Frances Wakefield
Frances started at Tilly Towers as an intern in 2019, soon becoming our Office Assistant, and later gaining a promotion to Product Manager. She is now responsible for managing the development and production of our sewing patterns, books and online workshops, from concept to finished product.
In her spare time, she loves getting stuck into a chunky sewing project (which may or may not be accompanied by a trashy reality TV show on in the background!).
Customer + Operations Manager
Virginija Klimaitė
Virginija coordinates the company's operations, ensuring our lovely customers are happy, orders go out on time, and financial transactions are managed smoothly.
Outside of work, Virginija is all about food. When she’s not perfecting her beginner sewing skills on a new project, she’s either cooking, binge-watching MasterChef, or on a quest to find the best places to eat.
Digital Marketing Manager
Abi Dyson
Abi spreads the sewing joy across emails, social media, and beyond! She keeps our lovely community up to date with the latest news, sewing tips, and inspiration while making sure as many people as possible discover the wonderful world of Tilly and the Buttons.
A lifelong maker, Abi previously ran her own small businesses and created content for her popular sewing blog and YouTube channel. When she’s not admiring your latest makes, she’s buried in a book, watching horror movies, or picking up a new crafty hobby!
