Meet the Patternmaker Behind the Peppermint Albion Bouse
- Words by Peppermint
No matter the weather, you can roam the moors in style with our latest free pattern, the Peppermint Albion Blouse, a romantic wrap top with two sleeve variations! This exclusive, highly wearable pattern was created in collaboration with the Sweden-based patternmaker behind Vanessa Hansen Studio and is brought to you in partnership with our good friends at Spoonflower.
Founded in 2020 when Vanessa stepped away from the fashion industry after years of working as a professional pattern cutter for top London fashion labels like Erdem, Emilia Wickstead, Issa London, Reiss and Topshop, Vanessa Hansen Studio is focused on sharing her love of pattern cutting and self-crafted clothes with the world – helping you create a sustainable and beautiful wardrobe to feel proud of.
“I love wearing beautifully crafted clothes that mirror my personality and my mood. Clothes that make me feel confident,” Vanessa says. “I believe that clothes can be a way of expressing yourself, and we all need to wear them, so why not wear something stunning?”
In the spirit of going behind the seams and to show the Albion Blouse the love it deserves, we caught up with Vanessa 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 the sewing world…
My journey into the sewing world started when I was a child. My mother sewed clothes for me and my siblings, so we were all used to the sound of the sewing machine from early on. There’s a photo of me sitting at her sewing machine at about four years old. Ever since then, I’ve been sewing. As an adult, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to work with patterns and sewing. I started studying patternmaking in my twenties and was hooked from the first day.
What inspires your patterns?
I like making patterns that are modern and fashionable and I’m inspired by city living, especially from my time living in London. I can be inspired by certain events and the feeling of doing something specific, like going to afternoon tea or a walk in one of the Royal Parks.
What do you love most about the sewing community?
I love the endless creativity and how a pattern can end up looking completely different depending on the sewist. I also love how supportive it is and all the love I’ve received for my patterns, which has really been key to me continuing my work with design.
Any tips and tricks for sewists making the Albion Blouse?
This is an intermediate pattern with some high-end finishing techniques and I would encourage sewists to take it slow and enjoy each step. If you feel stuck sewing the sleeve slit or turning the rouleau loops, I have some helpful reels on my Instagram to help you visualise the technical bits of the pattern.
What about fabric recommendations?
I would recommend a lightweight cotton; it’s easy to sew and if unpicking becomes necessary, the cotton can take it without falling apart. It lets your body breathe on hot summer days and doesn’t fray much.
Where do you plan on wearing the Albion Blouse?
I will wear my blouses (I have two so far) taking the tram downtown for afternoon tea with my sister and when exploring Copenhagen on my holiday coming up in July! I’m basically planning on wearing it whenever I want to feel chic and summery.
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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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. …
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🌻 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. 🌿
