Summer Issue 62
Our new Peppermint Pattern is here! Meet the Pasadena Rara Skirt • Mess and magic with our cover artist Jess Bird • Lottie Dalziel shares her Banish journey • Holly Neilson from Paper Hands • Yarrenyty Arltere Artists • A posy pocket patch DIY • Colourful yarns with Hive & Gobbler • Garden goodness with Connie Cao • Homewares with heart by Kip&Co • Cool kids on the crochet scene • The push and pull of polyester
Buy nowA print magazine about style, sustainability and substance
Best Friends Forever: Gifts To Share The Love This Palentine’s Day
Call us sentimental, but we just love a day dedicated to making our friends feel all kinds of warm and...
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Give Yourself A Break: Why Doing Our Best Can Look Different Every Day
Here’s a question for you: do you think, in general, that people are doing the best they can? When academic...
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Bleach, Please: Why This New Coral Reef Study Should Be A Wake Up Call
Word on the reef is in – and it’s grim. A peer-reviewed study (the first of its kind) by a...
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Three Peppermint friends show us why the Somerset is your go-to party dress
If you’re in the business of stealing shows, then the vacay-ready Peppermint Somerset Swing Dress is your gal! We invited...
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Five Reasons Why Being Kind Makes You Feel Good – According to Science
Everybody can appreciate acts of kindness. But when it comes to explaining why we do them, people often take one...
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Sewing School: Three Tiers For The Pasadena Rara Skirt!
Give me a Y! Give me an E! Give me an S! What’s that spell? It’s a heck YES from...
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From Porcelain To Pants: Erin Lightfoot’s Foray Into Fabric and Fashion
Well-known and loved for her bold, geometric designs, Erin Lightfoot creates coveted ceramic jewellery with her husband, multi-disciplinary creative Tang...
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This Crochet Cotton Rope Clutch Bag DIY Will Carry All Your Essentials
If you’re looking for a fun and funky weekend project, then look no further. Created by Emma Wright, a freelance...
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The Final Stitch Up: 2024 was SEW good!
Hot damn, Peppermint friends, you peeps sure can sew! 2024 delivered a bounty of jaw-dropping moments for our team as...
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Three Of Our Fave Sewists Show Us Why The Tansey Top Is A Styling Staple!
Lay your eyes on this round-up of terrific Tansey Tops! The ultimate in boxy tops, with beautifully gathered detail on...
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Our Toe-Tally Terrific Round-Up of Sustainable Summer Sandals
There’s suncream in the air and the supermarket smells like mangoes, which can only mean one thing. Summer is here!...
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No Present like Your Presence – Five Ideas for Gifts That Aren’t Things
In a world obsessed with material possessions, the last thing most of us need is more stuff. If you’re keen to avoid contributing...
Read moreWe all look for the ‘great’ people to rise, when it’s often just everyday individuals that have the courage to stand up and do something.
LOTTIE DALZIEL, ISSUE 62
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"From carbon emissions to women’s rights, polyester is a hot topic. It’s also big business, accounting for more than 50% of fibre produced globally. It is the world’s most commonly used fibre and the market is expected to continue growing. This, despite its sweaty, smelly and environmentally damaging properties. You have to wonder why.
To understand that, we have to go back to polyester’s early days. Akin to a Marvel villain origin story, it was born from laboratory experiments. In the late 1920s, DuPont funded an innovative lab where the chemist Wallace Carothers conducted experimental polymer research that gave rise to several synthetic fibres: neoprene, polyamide and nylon. But Carothers’ lab didn’t actually invent polyester; it was a close race, however, in 1941 John Rex Whinfield and James Tennant Dickson of the Calico Printers’ Association patented the material now known as polyester.
The 1950s were polyester’s time to shine. It made waves as an innovative and futuristic fabric promising easy care. Wrinkle-resistant, durable, fast-drying and unlike anything else on the market, it promised to free housewives from hours of mending, starching and ironing."
Once hailed as the solution to domestic drudgery, polyester has filled our skies, waterways and lungs with microplastics. So, how did we get here? Environmental scientist Katie Roberts unravels the tangled web of plastic fabric in Issue 62 (in newsagents or link in bio!).
Enjoy these vintage polyester ads – full of earnest, misguided promises (with a serious side of sexism).
#Polyester #MicroPlastics #Dacron #Terylene #SustainableFashion
Wear your heart on your tee this Palentine’s Day! 💕
Whether you’re the hype friend, the hot mess, or the wise sage, there’s a tee to match you or your friend`s vibe. Doesn`t matter if you or your pal is single, Valentine`s Day is the day to show some love, and there`s no better way than supporting your BFF while also supporting the rights – and livelihoods! – of other folk.
Check out our Palentine’s Day blog (link in bio) for more fun, thoughtful ways to shower your faves with love - and support businesses with heart while you’re at it.
Tees: @CyndiLauper @Confetti_Rebels @Chnge @DangerousFemales @NPYWomensCouncil @Rubys_Art_On_Stuff
#PalentinesDays #GalentinesDay #ValentinesDay #BFF #ShareTheLove #GirlsJustWantToHaveFundamentalRights
✨ Thanks for Nothing ✨
Rachel Burke’s new exhibition at @TheSideGallery in Red Hill, Meanjin, was created in response to her experience with recurrent pregnancy loss over a 12-month period. Made with over half a million de-stashed and thrifted melty beads, these pieces capture fragments of conversations, platitudes, and Rachel’s reflections.
Rachel (aka @IMakestagram) spoke with @Laura__Who at the launch on Friday about the perceived value of fine art vs craft.
Thanks for Nothing runs until 14 February.
#CraftIsArt #MeltyBeads #ArtExhibition #BrisbaneEvents #IMakeStagram #RachelBurke
These boots are made for walking, and dancing, skipping, twirling… kicking negativity to the curb!!! 🌈
We couldn’t love these boots more from @CrochetCopia:
“Living my best crafty life🌼🌈💚✨
.
Where would you wear a pair of these bad boys to? I was afraid to step outside with them, but they can’t just collect dust on my shelf.” 😵💫😅
#CrochetInspiration #CrochetShoes #CrochetAddict #Rainbow #RainbowAesthetic #CrochetFashion #LiveColorfully #MakersGonnaMake
SWOON! 😍
From Lilli @FrocksAndFrouFrou:
My body neutrality journey has been far from a straight line, and I have plenty of days where I’m sick of having the kind of body that invites attention or comments from strangers. On those days I dress in dark colours, clean lines and classic shapes. It’s camouflage, and it’s fine. On bad days my camouflage helps me feel blessedly unremarkable, and on good days it makes me feel stylish and elegant. It never brings me joy though.
You know what DOES bring me joy? Swooshing about in my new #PeppermintPasadenaRaraSkirt!
With three gathered ruffles that spring in tiers from a closely fitting a-line underskirt, the Pasadena Rara skirt definitely doesn’t fall under the category of camouflage. There’s a cleverly constructed waistband that combines a flat front with a zippered fastening and two short elastic panels for comfort and flexibility in sizing over the course of the day.
I’ve made it in a fabulous seersucker from @Spoonflower - the same fabric as the version lovely @CurvySam is wearing in Peppermint - the linocut-inspired peach print was designed by @Byre_Wilde_Studio. An earlier plan to add a broad bias binding in black to the hems of each ruffle nudged the skirt into costume territory, so in the end I gave it a miss. I’m thinking that I might use it on a second version of the skirt, but I’ll play with contrasting textures instead of colours.
This was my very first time sewing ruffles, and I wasn’t quite sure how it was going to all come together, but it ended up being a fairly straightforward sew. I didn’t stumble at any point during the instructions, and while it’s probably not a pattern I’d recommend for beginners, that has less to do with the complexity of the project and more to do with the difficulty of working with the sheer volume of fabric you’re wrangling into those gathers.
This pattern’s currently available in the current edition of Peppermint or you can pay-what-you-can for a digital version through the website.
I was gifted the pattern and the Spoonflower fabric for review, but as ever my thoughts and genuine review are my own.
#PeppermintPatterns #Spoonflower #CurvySewing #PlusSizePatterns
Share the love with your BFF this Palentine’s Day! 💕
Call us sentimental, but we just love a day dedicated to making our friends feel all kinds of warm and fuzzies. Enter Palentine’s Day (or, like, Galentine`s, or Valentine’s - whatever floats your HMS Joy on the 14th of February!). On the hunt for cool ways to tell your bestie they’re the bee’s knees? That you support them (and others), or that, simply, they matter?
Check out the epic list of nifty gift ideas and events on our website (link in bio) for you and your pal, gal... or Val! 💕
Images: @AbleAndGame @CorkAndChroma @Chnge @TheKnottyBoss @Rubys_Art_On_Stuff @EmAndFriends @NPYWomensCouncil @Pink_Nade @Confetti_Rebels @PaintAndSipWithSab
#PalentinesDays #GalentinesDay #ValentinesDay #BFF #ShareTheLove
GIVEAWAY!!!
Thanks to some of the incredible makers and sellers from @TheFindersKeepersMarket (featured in Issue 62’s Marketplace pages), we have a beautiful bundle of mindfully-made goodies to give away.
That’s right, folks, one lucky winner will win a prize pack valued at $340, including:
🌟 1 x Monstera Cross Stitch kit with embroidery scissors from @Modstitch, valued at $63!
🌟 1 x Rectangle recycled plastic platter with lid and matching servers from @PutALidOnIt.Co, valued at $95!
🌟 2 x bottles of Nine Lives Bazaar Passionfruit and Mexican Vanilla Margarita Mix and Badass Salt from @AztecaMargarita, valued at $80!
🌟 1 x Womb Huggers underwear and Earth’s Daughter Bralette from @YoniTown.Guru, valued at $100!
To enter, follow @TheFindersKeepersMarket and tag a mindful mate. We’ll draw the winner next Thursday, 6th February. Australian addresses only. Good luck!
#TheFindersKeepers #MelbourneFindersKeepers #SydneyFindersKeepers #ShopSmall #ShopLocal #SustainableShopping #EthicalFashion #Handmade #SupportSmallBusiness
Let your creativity blossom with this super-sweet, scrap-busting project! 💐
A cute-as-a-button way to use up your scraps and add some personality to a skirt, dress or even a tote bag, this Posy Patch Pocket pattern will bring a whole lotta fun (as well as your lip balm and keys). Mix and match your fabrics or go with a monochrome masterpiece; this project puts you in the designer’s seat. Want to add some embellishments like beading or embroidery? Be our guest. Let your imagination bloom, as the options are limitless!
The pattern for this delightful DIY, created by our talented Sewing Manager Laura, can be found in the latest issue on shelves now.
How about whipping one up for a pal on Palentine`s Day? (gal/pal/val – whoever you want to share some love with on Feb 14th!).
#DIY #PeppermintMagazine #ScrapBusting #ScrapBuster #FlowerDIY #MakeItYourself #SewingLove #SewistsOfInstagram
A crochet hook creating hope 🧶
Aseel Al Khalidi (@Aseel_KH_Art) was a graphic designer in Al Nasr, northern Gaza, before the war broke out in October 2023. She had just launched her own business, creating crochet cup cosies, handbags and dolls.
Over a year after losing her home and being displaced, Aseel started crocheting again as her children needed warm clothing. Materials were scarce and expensive so her brother Mohamed (@M7md_vo) fashioned some crochet hooks from wood chopsticks.
Support started pouring in for her work, and donations from others made it possible for Aseel to create more clothing for other children. She sometimes walks up to seven hours to obtain wool for her creations.
“I hope, if we stay alive, I will continue crocheting and building my business after the war,” she told @TheNationalNews.Com
Video via @SandalMountains - “I can’t even begin to describe how impressive this is. The people of Gaza never fail to amaze me with their talent and their resilience.”
#Crochet #CrochetLove #Resilience
Not a date to celebrate. 🖤💛❤️
From @commongroundfirstnations:
"On 26 January 1938 the first Day of Mourning protest was held by a group of First Nations people on Gadigal Land 🧡
Led by Jack Patten, William Ferguson and William Cooper, and marking the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet, it was a significant moment in Aboriginal rights history. It is considered the first national civil rights protest for First Nations people across the continent.
Since the first Day of Mourning protest, thousands of people gather each year to protest the celebration of 26 January through rallies across the continent.
Click the link in our bio to learn more about this historic moment ✨️
Pictured from the left are William Ferguson, Jack Kinchela, Isaac Ingram, Doris Williams, Esther Ingram, Arthur Williams, Phillip Ingram, Louisa Agnes Ingram OAM holding daughter Olive Ingram, and Jack Patten."
Image credit: AIATSIS collection. Disclaimer: The term Aborigine is used throughout this article as it was a term used at the time. It is now considered an offensive term by many First Nations people.
#Jan26 #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #DayOfMourning #CommonGroundFN
Word on the reef is in – and it’s grim. A peer-reviewed study (the first of its kind) by a team of marine scientists from @Sydney_Uni paints a stark picture of the state of the southern Great Barrier Reefs: In early 2024, marine heatwaves left coral colonies bleached at “catastrophic levels”. 🪸
Professor Ana Vila Concejo, a co-author of the study from the School of Geosciences, said: “This research is a wake-up call for policymakers and conservationists. The resilience of coral reefs is being tested like never before, and we must prioritise strategies that enhance their ability to withstand climate change. Our findings underscore the need for immediate and effective management interventions to safeguard these ecosystems.”
Read more on our website (link in bio). 🪸
📷️ Bleached coral at One Tree Island Reef by @Sydney_Uni
#ClimateActionNow #ProtectTheReef #CoralBleaching #SaveTheReef
So. Flipping. Cute. 😍
From Romy-Krystal Cutler @SewLike:
"The Valentine Ruffle Top! 🤩
I managed to squeeze in this make and wrapped up 2024 with this beauty. This breezy top is absolutely perfect for the heat! Even though I’m based in Utah, we jetted off to Thailand for my brother’s wedding, so I had to finish this before we left.
This stunning seersucker fabric from @Spoonflower, designed by @GaleSwitzer.Artist, is giving major vintage Marimekko vibes, and I am here for it! The fabric and pattern were kindly gifted by @PeppermintmMagazine, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s like they knew my wardrobe was begging for this piece!
While this top will be on heavy rotation come summer, for now, I’ll be rocking (and sweating in) it under the Thai sun.
I’m usually not a big fan of off-the-shoulder styles, so I love that this one offers versatility – I can wear it on the shoulders too. That said, enjoy this rare glimpse of my shoulders! Normally, you’d have to buy me dinner first, but today, it’s on the house. 😜
If you’re planning your summer wardrobe or currently embracing the heat, definitely check this pattern out. It’s a quick, satisfying sew and such a joy to make!"
Grab this pay-what-you-can pattern from the link in our bio!
#PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintValentineRuffleTop #SpoonflowerFabric #Sewist #Spoonflower
