It’s a Dog’s Life! Some of Our Fave Sewing Patterns for Pooches
- Words by Peppermint
Once you get the handle on sewing things for yourself, you can enter the dangerous and exciting world of sewing things for the ones you love. And here at Peppermint HQ (or should we say Puppermint…) there’s nothing we love more than our four-legged friends. So whether you want to coordinate with your canine in sweet little matching outfits or just give them a treat for being such a good boy or gal, we’ve traversed the wild, wild west of the crafternet to round up some of the best dog sewing patterns out there for your special pooch.
So without further awoo, on your barks, get set, sew!
Hot to Trot
Your pup might have a shiny, healthy coat of fur but why not keep them extra cosy with a stylish home-sewn coat to seal the deal. Perhaps your hound would like a snuggly hoodie of the UrbanThreads kind or maybe they howl for a more sophisticated quilted coat like Closet Core’s free pattern!
Thrift Flip
What’s a more heartfelt gesture to man’s best friend than giving them the very shirt off your back? There are some sweet thrift flips out there on how to turn your people clothes (predictable, pedestrian) into doggy clothes (delightful and darling). The Canine Carhartt Coat is a foolproof recipe for transforming any old zip-up jacket into a street smart look for your dog,
image OATY BEAR // image SPOONFLOWER
Bow Wow Wow
Some dogs don’t care to wear clothes, as is their right. But does this bar them from participating in fashion? No way! There are all sorts of ace accessories you can whip up to give your pooch the perfect finishing touch to their look as you strut down the runway on their walkies. Like Spoonflower’s secret to sewing the perfect bandana or their guide to making your dog a dapper little dude with a bodacious bowtie!
Dog Tired
Does your dog love to sleep on top of your sewing supplies? Is every time you lay down some material to try to cut out a pattern a target beam to nap time? Cleverly distract them by making a bunch of your fabric into a dog bed! For the dog who loves a-scrimbling and scrambling amongst the blankets, Lia Griffith presents the Burrow Dog Bed. For the pupper that’s a real sweetie pie, Spoonflower showcases the DIY Doughnut Bed.
Like a Dog to a Bone
It’s a tough life being a dog. No job, no rent, no existential angst, lying in sunbeams and getting head scritches. It’s no wonder they need to unwind with play time. You can also bring the handmade touch to your pooch’s toy box! Make them a big ol’ bone of cartoonishly large proportions or a soft patchwork ball to chase. You can even upcycle old t-shirts into great braided tug toys!
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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. 🌿
