Organisation Station: Shape Up Your Sewing Space with These Easy Hacks
- Words by Peppermint
above MEGAN NIELSEN’S STUDIO
If you are sewing a lot, it’s worth investing the time to make a pleasant space to work in.
We’ve all seen some truly swoon-worthy sewing spaces on our aspirational social media of choice. You know the ones – clutter-free, gleaming surfaces; everything colour-coordinated and close to hand; probably utilising some cool wall-hanging storage system. In real life, our sewing setups may look a little different. More like a bomb has gone off inside a fabric store, or perhaps a small localised cyclone. It’s alright, this is a safe space for messy sewists.
A clean, organised space is better for our minds, moods and creative output. But does knowing that make it any easier to achieve? Of course not! Especially when everyone and their mum is telling us to just attach a pegboard like we’ve all got spare wall space and a drill?!
Don’t fear mess mavens, your ol’ pal Peppermint is here to humbly offer a few tried and tested organisational hacks – small and easy tips that can make a big difference to the usability and vibes of your space, no renovations required!
left SEEKATESEW right ARROW MOUNTAIN
MAGNETIC APPEAL
Pins hold two non-complementary qualities – they get absolutely everywhere and they are quite sharp. Save yourself from a sore foot (or punctured patootie, ouch!) with the magic of magnetism. Using a magnet you can collect all your pesky pins in one sweep. This makes clearing and cleaning your sewing surface much faster and easier, as well as safely sweeping your floors and chairs for runaway rascals. Many places offer magnetic pin dishes which do double duty as collector and storage, as well as preventing the heartbreaking moment when you knock over your pin dish and watch those tiny sharp shivs spill everywhere.
left WHITEWOODANDLINEN right SAITO WOOD CO
BIN VOGUE
A pinch of prevention is worth a buttload of cure (sorry Benjamin Franklin, there will be no imperial measurements in these folksy sayings). Keeping a small bin under your sewing machine to immediately catch scraps of fabric, trimmed seams, loose threads and other detritus you generate while sewing can make a huge difference to the general neatness of your space. Less time spent tidying up means more time to have fun and enjoy yourself! Plus a bin’s worth of scraps can make a useful resource if you need cabbage to stuff something like a pin cushion or a floor poof. Nifty and thrifty!
WANT MORE SEWING AND DIY CONTENT? RIGHT THIS WAY!
above DAYLIGHT – SEWING LIGHTING EXPLAINED
LIGHT IT UP
Unfortunately, most of us must fit our sewing time around the tiresome demands of jobs, loved ones and life at large. This means we can’t always choose to sew when the piercing light of the sun hits our workstation at its optimal angle. Regardless, it is essential that your sewing space does have adequate lighting, be it natural or store-bought. If you find yourself squinting and slumping over your work, the best solution is a movable light source – a portable, flexible lamp of some kind to ensure, no matter where you are working – at the machine, cutting and pressing, or finishing by hand – you have proper light. This will allow you to work longer and later hours and leave you feeling less tired and stained!
Do you have a sewing hack you swear by? Is your sewing space sexy and you know it? We’re on the hunt for the most heartening, handy and handsome home sewing setups out there! Share it with us at [email protected] for your chance to be featured in Peppermint!
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
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🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
