Issue 64: Our gorgeous summer issue is full of creativity, inclusivity and belonging
- Words by Peppermint
Our new issue is here! And its beautiful cover art by Lisa Congdon proudly proclaims a sentiment near and dear to our Peppermint hearts: you belong here. Yes, you do.
We interviewed Lisa for issue 64 and she said of this artwork: “We are in unprecedented times in the United States, at least in terms of having a government who openly and unabashedly disparages, rejects and causes harm to trans folks and other marginalised groups, including immigrants. So my team decided I should make a piece of art that included the words ‘You Belong Here’ that people could hang in their homes, and this piece was born.”
Our gorgeous summer issue is full of creativity, inclusivity and belonging. Our cover is the front door, welcoming you into our house of hope. You are welcome. You are valued. Take a seat at our table. YOU BELONG HERE. 🫶
Visit the tiny, off-grid house of Sophie Kovic, founder of Seed & Sprout, and listen and learn from four trans or non-binary folk championing their right to belong – Georgie Stone, Rudi Landmann, Sunday Jemmott and Kim Leutwyler. Hear about the power of preloved and style to reclaim identity with Nat Shehata, and Perth photographer Amanda Battle explains how her Women Of Water Project has brought sisterhood and second chances from the sea.
Read how zero waste designer and sewist Birgitta Helmersson is turning fabric scraps into fashion gold, while a sewing side hustle from Famin Ahmed has helped lift the lid on domestic violence. Indigenous filmmaker Rachel Perkins shifts her focus to fashion with Atyene, and Amanda Hayman of Aboriginal Art Co helps us show solidarity with the oldest continuing culture on Earth with a roundup of deadly brands. Explore the handmade felt world of maker Cat Rabbit (plus a FREE Lucky Pickle DIY!), pore over the beautiful embroidered tapestries by the Porgai Artisans as documented by Melanie Hinds and be inspired by Jen Jeavons who decided to walk away from ‘having it all’.
And, of course, there’s a new sewing pattern – meet the Daisy Dress! Created with support from our pals at Potter & Co and Sew Your Way, this flowy, blousy dress offers a bounty of fun features and custom styling options. Raglan sleeves promise fullness and fabulousness, topped off by the optional insertion of lace or trim (swoon!). Designed with lots of ease (with a tie belt to cinch), a button placket down the front, pockets and a band collar, the Daisy can be easily shortened or lengthened to suit your whims or weather. The digital pattern for the Daisy is free with Issue 64!
We’re so grateful to our sewing partners for helping make this pattern happen. Potter & Co, proudly based in WA, are a small-but-mighty wholesale and retail textile merchant that has been supplying fabric to the fashion industry for over 25 years. While they specialise in linen – all OEKO-TEX certified no less – their bricks-and-mortar and online store also carry plenty of other fabrics to tempt your textile tendencies. Thanks also to Sew Your Way and their stylish sewing accessories. Keep pins handy with the Magnetic Pin Cushion Wristband or the Terrazzo Pin Dish, and their SiliPins are a must; the heat-safe, silicone head pins are designed for accessibility and ease – game-changing for sewists with arthritis, grip issues or dexterity challenges.
We hope this issue helps spread the important message of belonging, along with a liberal dash of sewing, style and sustainability. To get your copy, swing by our online shop or your closest stockist. Happy reading! 🌈
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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. …
Hang out with us on Instagram
🌻 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. 🌿
