Three Of Our Fave Sewists Show Us Why The Tansey Top Is A Styling Staple!
- Words by Peppermint
Lay your eyes on this round-up of terrific Tansey Tops! The ultimate in boxy tops, with beautifully gathered detail on the back, this makes a satisfying sew that you’ll want to turn out again and again. We partnered with our good friends at Spoonflower for Issue 61 to create this outfit essential (and you can still nab yourself a printed copy of the pattern if you buy this issue!).
The feedback was unanimous from the wonderful Alex @MySewBliss, Danette @ForAllLove, and Gowri @ByPaary, who each made a version of this classic style in their choice of Spoonflower fabric. All three were enthusiastic about celebrating the Tansey Top as a quick and easy sew. It’s great for beginners and a great palate cleanser for seasoned sewists.
Pair it with your choice of bottoms – this baby works with everything! Jeans, wide-leg pants, shorts, or a cheeky French tuck in a fitted or maxi skirt—the Peppermint Tansey Top has a place in all our wardrobes.
Danette / @ForAllLove
“When Peppermint Magazine reached out to hear if I’d like to sew up their Peppermint Tansey Top pattern with Spoonflower fabric I jumped on the chance.
I have a few TNT patterns from Peppermint Magazine (looking at you #PeppermintPaddingtonTop and #PeppermintMaxiDress) – and I love their pay-what-you-can model – making great patterns accessible to more people.
The Tansey is a quick and easy sew – I added an extra panel in the back for a more gathered look and also exaggerated the high-lo hem a bit in the back. I can already see this top is going to be a summer staple – in Spoonflower’s Cotton Lawn it’s cool and breezy and a nice basic for any wardrobe. The fabric is Daisy Love Green in Cotton Lawn by @Auderpopz on Spoonflower.”
Gowri / @ByPaary
“Loved this collab with Peppermint Magazine and Spoonflower of the Tansey Top. I chose this print by Holli Zollinger, whose designs I’ve been in love with for a while! The base is a gorgeous cotton silk. It’s beautiful to sew with and presses so well. I used a microtex needle for this fabric.
The Tansey Top is a quick sew. It’s a loose, breezy top with a gathered back bodice and cuffs to finish off the sleeves. It came together in an hour and a half (not including cutting time).”
Alex / @MySewBliss
“It has been so fun to make the Peppermint Tansey Top with this gorgeous fabric from Spoonflower. I love having a bold fabric with a simple pattern and this was the perfect combination. It gave the perfect retro!
The Tansey Top pattern was such an easy and quick make I was able to cut it out and sew it up all in one short afternoon and I’m already planning on making some more tops! I especially love the gathered yoke at the back and the large sleeve cuffs. SO GOOD!
You can get this pattern for FREE when you get a copy of Peppermint [Issue 61] or you can grab it on their website where they have a pay-what-you-can initiative! How cool is that???”
Thanks to our pals at Spoonflower for helping to make this pattern happen!
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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. 🌿
