Issue 64: Our gorgeous summer issue is full of creativity, inclusivity and belonging
- Words by Peppermint
Our new issue is here! And its beautiful cover art by Lisa Congdon proudly proclaims a sentiment near and dear to our Peppermint hearts: you belong here. Yes, you do.
We interviewed Lisa for issue 64 and she said of this artwork: “We are in unprecedented times in the United States, at least in terms of having a government who openly and unabashedly disparages, rejects and causes harm to trans folks and other marginalised groups, including immigrants. So my team decided I should make a piece of art that included the words ‘You Belong Here’ that people could hang in their homes, and this piece was born.”
Our gorgeous summer issue is full of creativity, inclusivity and belonging. Our cover is the front door, welcoming you into our house of hope. You are welcome. You are valued. Take a seat at our table. YOU BELONG HERE. 🫶
Visit the tiny, off-grid house of Sophie Kovic, founder of Seed & Sprout, and listen and learn from four trans or non-binary folk championing their right to belong – Georgie Stone, Rudi Landmann, Sunday Jemmott and Kim Leutwyler. Hear about the power of preloved and style to reclaim identity with Nat Shehata, and Perth photographer Amanda Battle explains how her Women Of Water Project has brought sisterhood and second chances from the sea.
Read how zero waste designer and sewist Birgitta Helmersson is turning fabric scraps into fashion gold, while a sewing side hustle from Famin Ahmed has helped lift the lid on domestic violence. Indigenous filmmaker Rachel Perkins shifts her focus to fashion with Atyene, and Amanda Hayman of Aboriginal Art Co helps us show solidarity with the oldest continuing culture on Earth with a roundup of deadly brands. Explore the handmade felt world of maker Cat Rabbit (plus a FREE Lucky Pickle DIY!), pore over the beautiful embroidered tapestries by the Porgai Artisans as documented by Melanie Hinds and be inspired by Jen Jeavons who decided to walk away from ‘having it all’.
And, of course, there’s a new sewing pattern – meet the Daisy Dress! Created with support from our pals at Potter & Co and Sew Your Way, this flowy, blousy dress offers a bounty of fun features and custom styling options. Raglan sleeves promise fullness and fabulousness, topped off by the optional insertion of lace or trim (swoon!). Designed with lots of ease (with a tie belt to cinch), a button placket down the front, pockets and a band collar, the Daisy can be easily shortened or lengthened to suit your whims or weather. The digital pattern for the Daisy is free with Issue 64!
We’re so grateful to our sewing partners for helping make this pattern happen. Potter & Co, proudly based in WA, are a small-but-mighty wholesale and retail textile merchant that has been supplying fabric to the fashion industry for over 25 years. While they specialise in linen – all OEKO-TEX certified no less – their bricks-and-mortar and online store also carry plenty of other fabrics to tempt your textile tendencies. Thanks also to Sew Your Way and their stylish sewing accessories. Keep pins handy with the Magnetic Pin Cushion Wristband or the Terrazzo Pin Dish, and their SiliPins are a must; the heat-safe, silicone head pins are designed for accessibility and ease – game-changing for sewists with arthritis, grip issues or dexterity challenges.
We hope this issue helps spread the important message of belonging, along with a liberal dash of sewing, style and sustainability. To get your copy, swing by our online shop or your closest stockist. Happy reading! 🌈
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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…. Which means we are officially entering party season. Work parties, friend-dos, family get-togethers and then we’re straight…
Hang out with us on Instagram
STAY SOFT ☁️
We love when some of our friends collide! And this collab between @SueChingLascelles and the legends at @DangerousFemales is a goodie.
From Sue-Ching:
New year, new mantra babes, because we tried being tough and it was exhausting. So now we’re going to lead with kindness and compassion and see what happens. We have nothing to lose! So let’s stay soft this year. Love ourselves and each other.
New limited edition tee designed by me for @DangerousFemales. 100% of the profits go to supporting DV services. Available NOW and did I mention limited edition? Such a cutie reminder for the year we’re going to have. The year we deserve to have.
BIG LOVE ya big SOFTIES 🤍
Sue-Ching x
Photos by @AMRPhotographer_
#DangerousFemales #DVAwareness #StaySoft
Furred, feathered, fishy, scaled… The pets we choose are as diverse as our personalities. (And apparently, quite often we resemble each other.) But they all deserve to be cared for in ways guaranteed to keep them safe, healthy, and happy. Basically, to be loved – something most of us pet lovers go to great (often expensive) lengths to achieve! (Looking at you, ginger furball, claiming my just-washed bathrobe as today’s fave bed…)
But if you’re concerned about the environment, you might experience cognitive dissonance about the impact your favourite fluffy’s having on the planet. Our pets’ needs are complicated: food, toys, bedding, accessories, and… wait for it… poo patrol paraphernalia. Turns out pets have quite the carbon paw print! So, what to do?
Start by picking more sustainable pet products and eco-friendly pet accessories, and thinking outside of the (litter) box about waste disposal. We’ve gone digging to find some (by no means all!) of the brands that keep both pet welfare and planet front of mind.
Read more at the link in our bio!
🐶🐱🐍🐹🐤
#SustainablePets #AnimalPawPrint #CarbonFootprint #EcoPets
If you’ve ever wanted to try sewing a lace insert, take the Daisy Dress as your cue to dive in and give it a go!
Not a huge fan of lace? Fret not flower! You could use the lace trim insert line on the sleeve to add a strip of contrast fabric, ribbon or even another type of trim like giant ric-rac! Or, of course, leave it out entirely for a simple, classic version.
Thanks to @SewYourWay_ and their fabulously stylish sewing accessories for supporting the Daisy Dress. This Australian, female-led business is all about modernising sewing, crafting and quilting, and making creating easier and more inclusive for crafters of all ages, abilities and genders. Their Silipins are a must; the heat-safe, silicone head pins are designed for accessibility and ease – game-changing for sewists with arthritis, grip issues or dexterity challenges. Founder Zoe Patterson realised there was a huge community of sewers, quilters and crafters that lacked access to new and innovative sewing tools – so she did something about it!
Head to the link in bio to read more about the Daisy now – the digital pattern also comes free with Issue 64.
🌼 Photos: @KelleySheenan
🌼 Patternmaker: Betsy @GarmentaApparel
🌼 Model: Grace @OhSewGrace
🌼 Fabric: @Potter_And_Co_Australia
🌼 Tools: @SewYourWay_
🌼 Lace trim: Star Guipure 40mm @TheMakerSocietyAustralia
#PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintDaisyDress #SewYourWay #PotterAndCo #LinenDress
“I really believe that every single one of us has creativity within us. Even those who claim they aren’t creative, or that they ‘can’t paint’ or whatever narrative they hold – I truly believe it’s there if we only reach out and grab it. Of course, it expresses itself in a multitude of ways: some of us are creative with words, or images, or sculpting. Some in the way we tend our homes, engage with our children or create our gardens. But the basis is the same creativity, and my mission with Ruco is to inspire it. I aim to create colours and sets that will themselves ignite that creative spark and give people permission to play freely and enjoy the process.”
Looking for a delightful way to add some colour to your creativity? From vegan, artist-grade paints to refillable ceramic paint pots made to last, Ruco Paints is a beautiful example of sustainability meeting artistry.
Founded by Marlena Taylor and handcrafted on the NSW North Coast using slow, traditional methods, @RucoPaints grew from a desire to live creatively, raise a family with intention, and offer an alternative to fast, disposable art supplies. We chatted with Marlena about the journey so far, the magic of small batches, and why ‘living a making’ (as per her favourite quote from poet and philosopher Mark Nepo) matters.
🎨 Link in bio 🎨
Photos: @LilyJeanPhotographs
#HandmadePaints #WatercolourPaints #AustralianArt #EcoArtSupplies
The fabulous Fern! We heart this make from the wonderful Trixie Johnston of @WithLoveTrixie:
"I’m chuffed to have collaborated with @PeppermintMagazine to bring you my version of the #PeppermintFernPleatedPants ✨
Featuring a wide leg fit with pleated front, slash pockets and a nifty centre back invisible zip. I really enjoyed the way this pattern is drafted to fit, which means a lot coming from a mum navigating postpartum curves. It’s tailored yet comfortable and hugs me in all the right places without any additional fit adjustments.
I also want to give a massive shout to the Fern’s sewing partners @Sohmo_Au for sending me a cookie tin of quality sewing goodies that I used throughout the project and @IndyBindyFabrics fabrics who provided the most incredible black cotton Sashiko-ori fabric. This fabric was made on a custom loom that weaves in a traditional sashiko (decorative running stitch pattern) and it’s a texture unlike anything I’ve sewn before.�
Details: �
• Size G – No mods. (I selected the size based off my waist measurements) Note: Size ranges from A-P (!!!)
• Fern Pleated Pants Pattern, SOHMO tools and Fabric were gifted however, Peppermint magazine’s ‘Pay what you can’ model provides such amazing patterns at a sustainable, affordable cost.
• Matching top is a modified version of The Carol Top from @SummerHaus_ (size 10)"
#PeppermintPatterns #IndyBindyFabrics #Sohmo #MeMade
“When people get old, they die. This art form is like a plant. You may think it has died, but nurture it, and it will come back to life. It lives on through generations.”
These words by Gami, an artisan who helped revive the lost tradition of Lambadi embroidery, speaks to the wisdom that Meanjin/Brisbane photographer Melanie Hinds (@WithThePeaches) experienced during her visit to Sittilingi village in the Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu, India, in 2023. Melanie went there to document how the once-nomadic Lambadi tribe are reviving their traditional embroidery craftsmanship and transforming their community through the @PorgaiArtisans Association’s artists’ residency.
Her photos became part of the ‘Stitching Stories’ exhibition at the India Ocean Craft Triennial (IOTA24) Program hosted in Fremantle: an intimate portrait of the women empowered both economically and socially by the initiative, and their captivating work. Gaelle Beech of @TheAnjelmsProject also helped make this exhibition a reality.
Nothing goes to waste in their craft, says Melanie, with even the smallest fabric scraps transformed into toys for children or woven into ropes for beds. “Through their intricate hand-stitched work, these women are preserving a centuries-old craft.”
Discover the beauty in our ‘Pride of place’ feature in Issue 64, at stockists now.
#PeppermintMagazine #PorgaiArtisans #LambadiEmbroidery #Craft #TraditionalEmbroidery
