The Stitch Up: The Coolest, Cleverest, Thriftiest Makes of the Month
- Words by Peppermint
If all the pretty Peppermint makes we’ve come across thus far are anything to go by, 2024 is set to be a bold, bright year for #MeMade goods. Savvy sewists are breaking all the rules, using up scraps, adding cheeky details and going all-out with devil-may-care pattern modifications. And, yep, we’re here for it.
Here, we’ve gathered up some of our most favourite Peppermint makes for the month of January. A most productive time of the year, it seems. If you’re working on something special, be sure to tag us on the socials – and your handmade duds might just make an appearance in the next round of The Stitch Up.
above@NeedleAndCloth’s TAKE ON THEPEPPERMINT WEST END JACKET
CRINKLE CUTS
Our love for linen goes on, fuelled by @ThingsPaigeMade’s transeasonal take on the Peppermint Valley Jumpsuit (yes to socks and loafers!) and Leslie Keating’s swoon-inducing Peppermint Pocket Skirt. Leslie says the fabric (from her online store @FibreSmith) is a dream to wear: “It hardly wrinkles at all and is light and airy yet opaque.”
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THE MOD SQUAD
It’s fair to say that @NeedleAndCloth is pretty taken with the Peppermint West End Jacket – she’s made four of them now, including one for Mr NeedleAndCloth. She’s given this corduroy style a few cool pattern modifications, including a pointy collar, an extra breast pocket and a D-ring at the back. We approve.
We’re also quite smitten with this tweed take on the Peppermint Peplum Top, which Rena_SewSolo has crafted for a Wyoming winter. We’ll take the vest, the pup and the cosy cabin, thanks.
MATERIAL GIRLS
Don’t be fooled by the opulent shade and pretty shimmer – the luxe-looking threads of this Peppermint Robe Jacket were an op shop find. The_Fabric_Attic, who hails from Belgium, says the material set her back €2 (about $3).
And, in other thrifty business, we have SallyTennilleDoig, who turned scraps from her Peppermint Bardon Dress into a matchy-matchy skirt for her sweet sidekick. Too cute, we say.
IT’S A WRAP
The ever-popular Peppermint Wrap Skirt continues its reign! We heart @Sarah_Lu_Creative‘s minty make (fashioned from a humble old tablecloth) and @MelissaMatheson‘s cheery checked take (made using remnant stock from @NeridaHansenFabrics).
MISSED THE DECEMBER EDITION OF THE STITCH UP? CATCH UP HERE!
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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
