Stick a Pin in It: Here’s Some Peppermint Milton Pinafore Inspo

From schoolgirl to sophisticate, from cottage-core to Parisian city slicker, we are obsessed with the sheer versatility of the Peppermint Milton Pinafore, created in collaboration with Delphine Colbeau from Just Patterns. 

Its deep V bodice and fit-and-flare A-line skirt make it stand out from traditional pinny silhouettes, while its back button closures and straps, which can be worn straight or crossed over, tie back to its old-school roots. This chameleon-like number can radically transform depending on fabric choice and styling, making it a trans-seasonal sleeper hit. And it’s free to download, just waiting for you!

This stylish pattern was created in partnership with our good friends at Spoonflower. The world’s largest marketplace of independent designs from global artists, Spoonflower provides custom, sustainable textile printing we know you’ll love. Their on-demand process significantly reduces materials, energy and water, featuring eco-friendly inks and a carefully sourced range of fabrics – including organic options.

For our modish make we used Spoonflower’s Lightweight Cotton Twill with a textural, geometric print by Utah-based visual artist Holli Zollinger.

To showcase the marvellous mutability of the Milton Pinafore and to get you all raring to start your engines and sew, sew sew, we asked five fantastic sewing influencers to create their own versions in a Spoonflower fabric of their choosing. 

From @Thats.Sew.Sandy‘s sweet spots, @KaleidoscopeKatie and @Katie_Parrott‘s fruit and floral realness, to @StylesInSeams blowing us away with butterfly wings and @S.Is.For.Sew’s bohemian teal giving us all the feels – these gals knocked it out of the park!

Read on to hear all their thoughts on the pattern and get inspired to create your own version!

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S.IS.FOR.SEW

Fabric Choice – Linen Cotton Canvas in Bohemian Medallion Teal

“Have you ordered fabric from Spoonflower? This was my first time! Not going to lie, I was a bit overwhelmed by the selection of prints. But I was very impressed by the quality of this cotton-linen canvas, and it’s very cool that they print fabrics by order to reduce waste at the production level.

“This print is by Cecilia Mok and it is called ‘Bohemian Medallion’ in teal. I have been dreaming about it in wallpaper… The shapes are elegant and natural with jewel-like pops of turquoise throughout. Thank you, Cecilia and sorry for the wrinkles!

“The Milton pinafore pattern is available from the Peppermint magazine website, it’s a free/pay what you can PDF pattern, and so much fun to sew. Great job Just Patterns! (I shortened mine to above the knee).”

Styles in Seams

Fabric Choice – Lightweight Cotton Twill in Ellewood Butterflies

“Delphine from Just Patterns has done it again! The Milton Pinafore, produced for Peppermint magazine, has all of the luxe details and pristine finishes that Just Patterns is known for (and I first experienced with her Helena wrap dress). But the best part is the Milton Pinafore pattern is available for free! Peppermint teamed up with Spoonflower to present this pattern and invited me to show off the collaboration. In case you’re unfamiliar, Spoonflower is a print-on-demand business that creates an outlet for surface designers to sell their artwork as fabric and wallpaper. Their fabrics are available on a number of substrates and when you order you can see how they print exact yardage and then print a barcode at the end with your order details.

“This fabric is called ‘Ellewood Butterflies‘ and it was designed by Mint Tulips on Spoonflower. This abstract butterfly print, with its teal and orange accents, was the perfect look to recreate the oversized ikat effect in Ulla Johnson’s FW ’22 collection. I just love the print on print look of this dress and turtleneck design from the collection.

“When I sat down to take these pictures I thought, ‘Wow, this is really the kind of style I dreamed of wearing those years ago when I had my first person branding photoshoot.’ Bold prints, vibrant colours, unique design – those are the style notes that feel most true to how I want to be seen in the world. Add onto that the slight wink of novelty with the butterfly print, and my Milton Pinafore has the perfect nod of whimsy that brings me a smile. I hope it brings you a smile too!”

Katie Parrott

Fabric Choice – Lightweight Cotton Twill in Modern Blush Watercolor Floral

“I love a great pinafore sewing pattern, and even better when it’s a freebie like the Milton Pinafore from Peppermint magazine and Just Patterns. I sewed up this beauty with some gorgeous fabric gifted from Spoonflower – the hardest part was choosing which pattern I wanted! I highly recommend the Peppermint free patterns if you’re building your skill repertoire and want to make a variety of things for a low cost!”

Kaleidoscope Katie 

Fabric Choice – Lightweight Cotton Twill in Modern Lemon Block

“Look – I wasn’t sure of this pattern when it came out. It’s out of my comfort zone in regards to patterns I like on my body. But when the opportunity came up to collaborate with Peppermint and Spoonflower (when I’m eternally stingy for saying yes to opportunities on IG), I actually took this one.

“Honestly, I’m not a massive fan of this #MiltonPinafore. It was lovely to sew, the fabric was a dream and absolutely this will be perfect for some people. But I’m not one of those people. I feel like this is too small for my bust. I like the idea of it but maybe a pinafore is more me? It’s probably a little retro for my tastes. In the final few photos I tried tinkering with the straps to make a bow. Dunno… I’ll sit on this one for a hot minute to decide what to do with it.

“Regardless of my personal views on the end product, the pattern was lovely to work with. Designed by Just Patterns, it’s available for free on the Peppermint website. Let’s talk the real winner of this look. The fabric. If you saw my stories on the weekend where I explained why I said yes to this (unpaid) collab, I selfishly wanted to try Spoonflower fabrics without the shipping costs. This print quality is amazing. I’m usually skeptical of a digital print, having only used pieces from two places in the past I liked, but actually, Spoonflower blew me away a little. If you’re on the shelf to try them, give it a go!”

THAT’S SEW SANDY

Fabric Choice – Linen Cotton Canvas in Painted Brushstrokes

“I was gifted this heavy weight linen from Spoonflower and the vibes I get is ice cream and candy! The pinafore is a pattern that I usually wouldn’t even think to get but this year one of my goals is to sew pieces that you usually wouldn’t be able to get from the shops as well as add more colour to my wardrobe.

“This pattern is beginner friendly, the only thing I got stuck on was attaching the waistband to the bib part. I ended up watching a helpful YouTube video by @gul_davies. Layering this up with a tee that I got a couple of years back from Zara. This outfit would be better in our Australian winter, not so much todays weather where it’s stinking hot! I think if I was to make another pinafore I’d go a few size bigger on the skirt and add gathers but also use a lighter fabric.”

Pop over to spoonflower.com for more inspiration, then download the free pattern and make sure you tag #PeppermintPatterns (and #PeppermintMiltonPinafore) in your creations!