Hubba Hubba Ding Ding! Meet the Bowen Dress Patternmaker
- Words by Peppermint
Get ready to float your way through the day with our latest free pattern, the Peppermint Bowen Dress, a bodaciously breezy tent dress! This exclusive, highly wearable pattern was created in collaboration with patternmaker Kim Sisson from Hubba Ding and is brought to you in partnership with our good friends at Spoonflower.
Founded in 2021 by Kim (though she previously made patterns under the handle If Kim Wore Clothes), Hubba Ding is focused on making super simple, beginner-friendly patterns that will take pride of place in your me-made wardrobe.
“‘Hubba hubba ding ding, sister you’ve got everything!’ That’s what my poppa used to say when one of his granddaughters was wearing a super snazzy outfit,” Kim says. “It’s silly, but damn it made us feel good, and that’s how I want you to feel in your new me-made creations!”
In the spirit of going behind the seams and to show the Bowen Dress the love it deserves, we caught up with Kim to learn more about her label and to rack her brain for tips and tricks when creating the pattern.
DOWNLOAD THE PATTERN NOW!
Tell us about your journey into patternmaking…
My mum taught me to sew when I was young and I’ve been sewing ever since. I guess that’s what makes it really special for me – the fact it’s a craft that my beautiful mum taught me. She had the patience of an absolute saint! When I started out, I would make clothes for my Barbie dolls. That’s still some of the hardest sewing I’ve ever done – so darn fiddly! Then I graduated to sewing for myself, friends and family – I even sewed my ball dress one year, it wasn’t the prettiest dress you’ve seen, but I did it – and then I learned how to create patterns and started sharing them online.
What inspires your patterns?
I’m constantly inspired by people I see in the street, Pinterest, Instagram – I’ve got a list as long as my arm of styles I want to try to create. My patterns are just the clothes that I want to wear, so I’m lucky that when I’m adding yet another dress to my already exploding wardrobe, I have a great excuse – it’s for Hubba Ding!
Any tips and tricks for sewists when making the Peppermint Bowen Dress?
It’s so straightforward that I don’t think there are any particular tips or tricks. Just the usual – take your time and have fun with it!
Do you have any fabric choice recommendations?
Buying fabric is always the hardest part – I spend ages deciding what fabric to buy. But if I had one tip, I would say that you can, generally, never go wrong with cotton. Especially for the patterns that I design, cotton is perfect because it holds its shape and it has a beautiful structure, so it’s great for gathering but also drapes nicely. It’s also really easy to sew. I very rarely steer away from cotton and when I do, I end up regretting it! There are exceptions of course, but in general, go for cotton.
Where do you plan on wearing the dress?
Everywhere! It’s such a versatile dress, it can be worn anywhere and everywhere. It’s summer here in New Zealand at the moment, so today I’ll be throwing it over my togs and heading to the beach.
What do you love most about the sewing community?
I can’t tell you how much I love being part of the sewing community. Everyone is so kind and supportive; I can’t believe how many people have chosen to support my little business. It’s so special to me!
I get the biggest buzz from seeing people wearing the clothes that I’ve designed, and equally I love showcasing peoples’ makes on my Instagram and giving them a shout out. There are some seriously talented and inspiring sewists out there – I love seeing what they make.
Every quarter we work with a talented patternmaker to create a new design for our me-made mates. Head to the link here for a plethora of pretty patterns – all free for you to download and make to your heart’s content – along with plenty of sewing tips and tricks.
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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
