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.”
WANT MORE SEWING AND DIY CONTENT? RIGHT THIS WAY!
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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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. 🌿
