Summer Issue 62
Our new Peppermint Pattern is here! Meet the Pasadena Rara Skirt • Mess and magic with our cover artist Jess Bird • Lottie Dalziel shares her Banish journey • Holly Neilson from Paper Hands • Yarrenyty Arltere Artists • A posy pocket patch DIY • Colourful yarns with Hive & Gobbler • Garden goodness with Connie Cao • Homewares with heart by Kip&Co • Cool kids on the crochet scene • The push and pull of polyester
Buy nowA print magazine about style, sustainability and substance
Creative Escape: Artist Debra Meier’s Guide To The Central Coast
Have you ever watched the sun rise over a secluded beach, the sky unfurling in soft pinks and golds, while...
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Studio Sounds: Five Creatives Share How Music Boosts Their Work
If we had a CD for every study done on the powerful effects of music on creativity, we’d have a...
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Belle Gibson: A Spoonful of Vinegar
Accountability can be uncomfortable. But I can tell you what feels worse – living with an apology you’ve held onto...
Read more
Sew, Share, and Win: Join The Spotlight Sew Challenge Today!
Cotton and linen and muslin, oh my! As many Australian sewists will attest, Spotlight is a veritable playground of fabrics...
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It’s a Ruff Story: Turn Up The Romance With The Valentine Ruffle Top!
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a person in possession of an event invitation (like, say, a date) must...
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Best Friends Forever: Gifts To Share The Love This Palentine’s Day
Call us sentimental, but we just love a day dedicated to making our friends feel all kinds of warm and...
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Give Yourself A Break: Why Doing Our Best Can Look Different Every Day
Here’s a question for you: do you think, in general, that people are doing the best they can? When academic...
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Bleach, Please: Why This New Coral Reef Study Should Be A Wake Up Call
Word on the reef is in – and it’s grim. A peer-reviewed study (the first of its kind) by a...
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Three Peppermint friends show us why the Somerset is your go-to party dress
If you’re in the business of stealing shows, then the vacay-ready Peppermint Somerset Swing Dress is your gal! We invited...
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Five Reasons Why Being Kind Makes You Feel Good – According to Science
Everybody can appreciate acts of kindness. But when it comes to explaining why we do them, people often take one...
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Sewing School: Three Tiers For The Pasadena Rara Skirt!
Give me a Y! Give me an E! Give me an S! What’s that spell? It’s a heck YES from...
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From Porcelain To Pants: Erin Lightfoot’s Foray Into Fabric and Fashion
Well-known and loved for her bold, geometric designs, Erin Lightfoot creates coveted ceramic jewellery with her husband, multi-disciplinary creative Tang...
Read moreWe all look for the ‘great’ people to rise, when it’s often just everyday individuals that have the courage to stand up and do something.
LOTTIE DALZIEL, ISSUE 62
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"I’m inspired by what brings me joy. I must have an emotional connection with the subjects I paint, and this connection is often expressed as a smile. Like walking through the bush and spying nature’s little hidden-away gems – that makes me smile! I photograph them and usually can’t wait to race home and paint them. I also feel drawn to supporting, painting and promoting endangered wildlife species."
The natural abundance of the Central Coast, NSW, isn’t just a feast for the senses; it’s a wellspring of inspiration for the artists who call this coastline home. Among them is painter @DebraMeierArt, who translates the region’s vivid flora and fauna into light-filled, dynamic canvases.
Her residency at Creative Spaces, a gallery container nestled within Toukley Village Green, runs until the end of March. A longtime Coast local, Debra knows this landscape intimately – its shifting colours and hidden corners. She shares some of its secrets with us over on our website (link in bio). 🍃
Created with help from our friends at @LoveCentralCoastNSW 🌊
#PeppermintMagazine #PeppermintPartner #CentralCoast #Art #LocalArtist #NSWCoast #NSWCentralCoast #NSW #WildlifeArt #LoveCentralCoast #CentralCoastCreatives #ToukleyVillageGreen
Imagine buying clothing where you knew that the people who produce them, from design to dispatch, are paid fairly, treated with dignity and work in safe conditions.
Well, imagine no more friends: each one of these brands is exactly that because they are accredited by @EthicalClothingAustralia. These four, featured in Issue 62, are amongst good company under the ECA umbrella.
ECA is an accreditation body that work collaboratively with local textile, clothing and footwear (TCF) businesses to protect and uphold the rights of Australian garment workers. To be ECA accredited, a business’s manufacturing operations are audited from design to dispatch to ensure that local TCF workers, including outworkers, are being paid appropriately, receiving all their legal entitlements and working in safe conditions. By supporting an Ethical Clothing Australia accredited business you are helping to strengthen the Australian TCF industry and you’re valuing the rights of our local garment workers.
Sounds good to us. 👌🏼
@TheSocialStudio @ByAudreyAndGrace @Spiritus_Eco_Clothing @Magenta_Threads 👏🏼
Issue 62 in newsagents one more week! 🏃🏼♀️
#EthicalFashion #SustainableFashion #EthicalClothingAustralia #SlowFashion #ShopEthically #BuyEthicalSupportLocal #EthicalClothing #ConsciousConsumer #TransparencyInFashion #EthicalBrands
"The more crappy fashion that gets produced, the more it circulates in our secondary market – and it is truly tragic. But I’m an optimist and I find the negativity doesn’t help us shop better, so I’ve just honed my beavering skills accordingly and, frankly, I op-shop often enough that I still find plenty of treasures. It’s a numbers game. You’ll come home empty-handed more often than, say, in the 2000s, but in the meantime you’re hopefully learning more about your style. Because, as I always say, returning home empty-handed after a shopping trip deserves a firm pat on the back!"
Secondhand shopping extraordinaire @JoGambale has gone from writing at Vogue to styling at Slogue, the consultancy she founded to show fashion addicts the joy of op-shopping. The Sydney-based circular fashion stylist is also a co-host of @QuestioningFashionPodcast, along with dressmaker and vintage-clothing expert @AliDibley. Jo tells us in Issue 62 how to get maximum wear from statement buys and shares her favourite search engine for online thrifting.
Only in newsagents for one more week – hop to it! 🏃🏻♀️
📷️ Flore-Anne Carlet
#SecondhandFashion #SecondhandShopping #Preloved #OpShop #Vintage #SustainableFashion #Slogue #JoGambale
Studio Sounds 🎶
Whether you’re into fresh new beats, nostalgic faves, or bingeworthy podcasts (or simply prefer the sound of silence!), there’s an auditory panacea that’ll get your creative juices flowing. We reached out to five Peppermint friends to get the rundown on the sounds of their studios.
Head to our website to hear what these creatives listen to when they get their make on: @MadButt @SewToGrow @ColourPuffGirl @SewLike and @OhhSoPretty__
Link in bio!
#CreativePractice #MusicForCreativity #BingeWorthy #Soundtrack
Chi Nwosu is a queer, non-binary, Nigerian immigrant artist living on Anishinaabe lands (Chicago). Their transformative and playful work explores identity, representation, gender, and power, challenging cultural narratives and amplifying underrepresented voices. 🌺
Reposted from @ItsChiNwosu:
This piece, Feeling the Gap, took me a long time to complete because I still inhabit the space in which it was created. The gap between the world I long for and the one I inhabit feels vast. Instead of running from this discomfort, I am choosing to sit in the gap with cautious curiosity, asking: What can this moment offer me on my journey toward liberation?
As the Earth shifts from the shadow of solstice toward the light of a new year, I invite you to extend this same tenderness toward yourself.
If drawing brings you joy, now is the time to make marks that awaken your spirit. If writing is your medium, let your words shape the future you long for. If you have the gift of connection, nurture spaces where vulnerability can flourish—for yourself and others.
As Toni Morrison reminded us, encouraged by a fellow artist and friend, “This is precisely the time when artists go to work.” We are inherently creative beings, constantly reimagining and reproducing ourselves in every moment. Let us not forget this truth.
Find this print in my shop and join me in conversation at https://seedingpossibilities.org/
#Liberation #MutualAid #Community #Solidarity #ArtForSocialchange #SocialJustice #ChiNwosu
Puppy love! 😍
From @MollyMollyFabric:
“Being values led is important to me. I sell fabric as a slow alternative to mass produced fashion, so collaborations aren’t something I seek out... but this one is different. Working with @HoundTees who make shirts to keep greyhounds and other sighthounds warm, is a creative dream come true. Hound-Tees is a female owned business that manufactures in Melbourne/Naarm. Importantly to me, they are anti-racing and well respected amongst the greyhound rescue community. Three of my prints available on my website (link in bio) are also available as shirts at @HoundTees. Big thanks to rescue dog Gilly’s person and Hound-Tees for making my longdog clothing dreams come true.
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Both sewing patterns I’ve used for my skirts in this post are beginner friendly and also created by independent Australian designers. The Aqua Zag print skirt is a shortened @PeppermintMagazine wrap skirt, drafted by @InTheFolds. The Sweet Legs skirt is a @_DiyDaisy design called the Trapezoid skirt and doesn’t even need a paper pattern! It’s available on her website and in her Sew It Yourself book.
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I’m so proud of this moment. The greyhound community were instrumental in us learning to care for our greyhound Delilah, who has crossed the rainbow bridge. While what you see of my account is mostly sewing and surface design with a little bit of longdog (ok... alot of longdog every Monday), what I see on my feed is nearly equal parts sewing and greyhounds. I’m so glad I can give back. I’ll be donating my illustration fees to several greyhound rescues so that they can continue to do the good work they do.”
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#MollyMollyFabric #HoundTees #PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintWrapSkirt
Belle Gibson: A spoonful of vinegar
Accountability can be uncomfortable. But I can tell you what feels worse – living with an apology you’ve held onto for over a decade. Watching Apple Cider Vinegar starring Kaitlyn Dever on Netflix this past week has brought up a cascade of emotions.
The new series follows the story of Belle Gibson – the woman who fooled the world – as exposed by journalists Beau Donnelly and Nick Toscano from The Age, and in the book of the same name. For those who don’t know of her, Belle was one of the first ‘wellness influencers’, leveraging her many cancer diagnoses to inspire her followers to live a holistic life, through her Instagram, app and book The Whole Pantry. Only Belle didn’t have cancer. It was all a lie.
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Seeing our cover replicated on Apple Cider Vinegar (albeit with a different masthead, obviously designed to get around needing a release signed by us) sent me into a tailspin. I don’t want to be tied up with Belle Gibson, and it gave me a shock to say the least. But the reality is, we published that. It exists. We can’t hide that fact. And I hate it. “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better,” Maya Angelou famously said. Well, to me that means being accountable and saying sorry. And I am SO, so sorry. We remained quiet when all the revelations hit in 2015; we should have spoken out. We felt immensely sick about it all. As a teeny independent company, we didn’t know what the consequences might be. It was scary. Worst still, the ultimate consequences may have been that someone, even one person, might have taken inspiration from our story. It’s always played heavily on my mind and heart. Especially so as my beliefs and knowledge have changed over the last ten years. Apologies certainly don’t remove our culpability, but if we don’t own up and take ownership of our own part in life, then how do we grow and learn?
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I`ve written an essay (and an apology) over on our blog – strap in, it`s long: it`s 10 years of turning myself inside out.
Kelley x
(link in bio)
“Our female-led business – plus one dynamite male, who joined the team in 2024 – is built on heart and friendship. Our mission is to create a better way of living. And to us, this is fun, bright, inspired and generous in a way that protects the planet.”
in 2012, sisters Kate Heppell and Hayley Pannekoecke and their bestie, Alex McCabe, decided to bring the colour to a beddable business idea. In Issue 62, the three founders of @KipAndCo spoke to us about how they`ve made a commitment to minimise any harm to the planet, an ethos that informs everything they do.
Read more in our current issue, only on-sale for two more weeks! 🏃♀️
#PeppermintMagazine #KipAndCo #SustainableBusiness #EthicalHomewares #DopamineDecor #ColourfulHouses
Ooh we love these tips! 🪡
Reposted from the talented Alfonso Maria Nava of Berlin-based @Almana.Clothing:
“Which one do you find more useful?”🌻
#SewingTips #SewistsOfInstagram #SewSewSew
Sew, Share, and Win: Join the Spotlight Sew Challenge today! 🪡
As many Australian sewists will attest, Spotlight is a veritable playground of fabrics and notions and all sorts of creative bits and bobs to help bring your projects to life. Laura our Sewing Manager popped along to Spotlight in North Lakes recently to take a peep at their vast array of textiles – plenty of oohing and aahing to be had! The visit was also in conjunction with an exciting new competition Spotlight has just launched – the Sew Challenge is here!
To enter just whip something up using Spotlight fabric and post on Instagram, tagging @SpotlightStores and #SpotlightSewChallenge. The top five entries will be picked by Spotlight for the most creative designs, and then the public will vote on the winner. And what can you win, my friend? It’s a doozy! The winner will nab both an Elna HD1000 Heavy Duty Sewing Machine (valued at $575) and one Semco Basic Sewing Trolley Bag (valued at $50). How good is that?!
Head over to @SpotlightStores for more info and then get stitching folks – we can’t wait to see what you make! 🪡
T&Cs: AUS and NZ 18+ only. Commences 12/2/25 12.01am AEDT | 2.01am NZDT. Ends 11/03/25 9.59pm AEDT / 11.59pm NZDT. For full T&Cs, see @SpotlightStores for details.
#SpotlightSewChallenge #Spotlight #SpotlightStores #PeppermintMagazine #PeppermintPartner #SewingChallenge #SewingCompetition #MeMade #SewistsOfInstagram
If you’re seeking worship-worthy jewellery for everyday wear, then Temple of the Sun is the brand for you. ✨️
Drawing inspiration from the ancient world, the Byron Bay studio handcrafts investment pieces in solid, responsibly sourced gold. They also do a gold-vermeil range, which bears the same other-worldly qualities and – this is the best bit – if your piece loses its lustre over the years,Temple of the Sun will arrange to have it re-plated and restored. ✨️
We happen to have one x $150 voucher up for grabs from @TempleOfTheSunJewellery - check the latest issue for details! ✨️
#PeppermintMagazine #TempleOfTheSun #SustainableJewellery
"The vision for Wharenui Harikoa [translates to ‘House of Joy’] was gifted to us from our Tūpuna [ancestors] in 2018. We knew our wharenui would have a global impact of aroha [love] and connection. The vision was to manifest intergenerational healing and deeply felt joy, one loop at a time.
We also envision working with indigenous communities around the globe, re-imagining what indigenous joy looks like through our medium of crochet."
What do you hope it brings to those who experience it?
"Love, security, freedom, joy, connection. The intention from the beginning was that people would step inside this woollen whare and feel like they were being embraced by their nanny’s blanket." 💕
Lissy and Rudi Robinson-Cole (@LissyAndRudi) are a husband-and-wife duo from Aotearoa/New Zealand united by their love of crochet. Read more in Issue 62!
#PeppermintMagazine #Crochet #WharenuiHarikoa #LissyAndRudi #MaoriArt
