The Stitch Up – A Celebration of Me-Made May Makes
- Words by Peppermint
above A TERRIFIC TAPESTRY-BACKED SAMFORD SET FROM THE BRILLIANT @BYBEABROWNE
The only downside to Me-Made May is that you’re all posting so many marvellous makes, it’s hard to keep up, and absolutely impossible to pick our favourites! It’s an embarrassment of riches and you simply must head to the appropriate hashtags to check out the rest of the #MeMadeMay2023 and #PeppermintPatterns goodness.
To celebrate you darling buds of May, we’ve put together a roundup of some of our favourite makes we’ve seen this month. If you want to show off your sensational sewing, be sure to tag us in your posts and you might see yourself in The Stitch Up in months to come!
TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
Take a peep at the gorgeous greens on display as @ChrisInSeams preens like a peacock in another fantastic Peppermint Samford Set in Rifle Paper Co fabric while @CrookedPins prowls the streets in a spectacular pair of leopard print Peppermint Wide-Leg Pants.
THE OL’ RAZZLE-DAZZLE
We love it when you beautiful geniuses put your brilliant brains to jazzing up a pattern in ways we could never predict and these two smarty pants have blown us away – @CraftyProfessor’s hand-stitched sashiko Peppermint Robe Jacket is sensational. As is the magnificent @ByBeaBrowne’s tri-fabric, tapestried, neon-piped Peppermint Samford Set! Swoonsville.
PEP PEP HOORAY!
A couple of cuties rocking the heck of the Peppermint Peplum Top (and also some adorable headwear). @ChantiSewSew is tripping the light fantastic in a brilliant brick red, while @Rena_SewSolo is giving layers and coordination (plus dog!) in a brilliant Lady McElroy wool tweed.
WANT MORE SEWING AND DIY CONTENT? RIGHT THIS WAY!
MAXIMUM FASHION
Some fantabulous Peppermint Wide Strap Maxi Dresses! @A_GirlWithAnAccent customised her classic linen make with some terrific tie straps and @Nan_And_Ariane made her second show-stopping number with a specially saved silk blend.
SMARTYPANTS
These groovy gals are looking hot to trot in their smart casual ensembles. @Allie.Upcycles is keeping it thrifty with her free deadstock fabric Peppermint Wide-Leg Pants and @HauntedThimble is nailing the business goth aesthetic!
FLOWER PUFF GIRLS
There’s something about the Peppermint Paddington Top and floral fabrics that’s simply a match made in heaven! @Ruth_Creates shines in tropical technicolour and @Alice_X_Wang blooms beautifully in Minerva-exclusive viscose.
BACK IN BLACK
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a good black dress goes with everything. We see that here with @CarlyInTheClouds’ cosy and colour-blocked Peppermint Wide Strap Maxi and @ViewsFromTheStitch_’s bee-utiful pattern hacked Peppermint Pleated Summer Dress. That’s fashion, darling!
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“My piece of advice for makers and designers? Run your own race… make sure your key decisions stay anchored in your brand’s core beliefs.”
- Bec Bligh
Quick show of hands: who’s opened a water bottle expecting a refreshing sip… and instead been greeted by the unmistakable whiff of uh-oh?
Because for something that follows us everywhere (desk, car, hikes, yoga…), the humble drink bottle is strangely prone to becoming a science experiment. Hard-to-clean corners and gaskets. Mystery smells. Bec Bligh and her husband Tim know it well. A six-month sailing trip along the Queensland coast left them with a lifetime of memories and one stubborn annoyance: mouldy water bottles they couldn’t properly clean.
So they did something about it.
Enter @EverVessel. Thoughtfully designed borosilicate glass and stainless steel bottles that keep things beautifully simple: durable materials, wide openings, easy-to-clean parts and none of the techy gimmicks that tend to age badly. Turns out simplicity, done well, is pretty powerful stuff. (Their many design awards agree!)
And lately they’ve added a little extra delight: the Artist Series, where creatives like Paola Castro, Ben Miners and Martin Thompson transform these everyday companions into tiny travelling artworks. There are more colabs in the works, too: hydration, but make it joyful! 🎨💧
We chatted with Bec about the sailing trip that started it all, the philosophy behind Ever Vessel, and why the most sustainable product is often just the one you keep using.
Tap the link in our bio to read the full conversation. 🚰
#EverVessel #ReusableWaterBottle
Pull up a chair… there’s room at this table!
For the first time, Feast for Freedom is bringing people together for a spectacular long-table dinner as part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
A Longer Table is exactly what it sounds like: one beautiful shared table inside the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1), piled with generous dishes inspired by this year’s hero cooks, Noha and Nige.
From 6 to 9pm on Wednesday, 25 March, this is what you can expect:
🍽 A three-course shared feast
🍷 Matched drinks
🎶 Live entertainment
✨ A room full of good humans
Your ticket doesn’t just buy you a delicious dinner. It supports the ASRC’s vital work and helps create a fairer future for people seeking asylum.
Seats are limited, and long tables have a way of filling up quickly – head to @MelbFoodAndWine’s website to book now: feastforfreedom.org.au/mfwf
#FeastForFreedom #MelbourneFoodAndWineFestival #LongTableDinner #FoodForChange
Sew versatile! 🪡
Another great make from Lisa from @SunnySewsEveryday:
My #PeppermintWaratahWrapDress is finished and I’m so proud of it. It has been designed not to flap open and flash your pants in the wind, so I feel confident it will be a great wheelchair or standing dress in English weather.
#PeppermintPatterns #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
Frame your face with the Peppermint Bucket Hat!
Stay safe and stylish in the sun with your very own self-sewn and self-drafted wide-brimmed bucket hat. This beginner-friendly sew is perfect for a sunny day. Get out your pencils – this pattern is created using equations and maths!
This DIY project was featured in Issue 53 and now you can access it for the lovely low price of only $5.
Sun-safe chic is always in style. ☀️
Find it via the link in our bio!
Photos: @KelleySheenan
#PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintBucketHat #BucketHat #BucketHatPattern #DIY
✨ INSTANT CLASSIC ✨
The Peppermint Myrtle Shift Dress is a beginner-friendly make with a few special details based on the ever-stylish shift shape – the perfect dress you need in your wardrobe right now!
Myrtle cuts above the knee with options to customise the length. Don’t think she’s reserved for hot weather either: try a heavier-weight fabric to turn your Myrtle into a pinafore-style garment for layering.
For our fabrics we chose two from our lovely sewing partner @Karmme_Apparel – the bold Rottnest Stripes in a lightweight, soft-drape cotton, and the quality linen in the handpainted Mexico Collection.
Get making the Myrtle – the only question is, can you stop at just one?
Link in bio 🪡
Fabric: @Karmme_Apparel
Sewist: @Laura_The_Maker
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Models: @SerahSews and @Pins_And_Tonic
Location: @ShareTheDignityAustralia
#PeppermintMyrtleShiftDress #PeppermintPatterns
It’s time to Feast!
Some recipes travel a long way before they land on your table to delight your taste buds. This year’s Feast for Freedom invites us to gather our friends, cook something delectable and raise funds for the incredible work of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1) while we’re at it.
The 2026 Feast features recipes shared by two remarkable cooks: Noha, who brought the flavours of Palestine with her when she arrived in Australia, and Nige, a Sri-Lankan Tamil cook whose journey with food began in the most unexpected of places.
You can host your own Feast up until 30 April – simply register online and get planning! Host a dinner, organise a workplace lunch, or gather your community… However you do it, the idea is simple: cook, connect and celebrate the cultures and stories that shape Australia.
Want to find out more? Head to the link in bio to meet Noha and Nige, learn more about their stories, and discover a delicious recipe to try.
#FeastForFreedom #PeppermintMagazine #FoodForGood #ASRC
