It’s Quiltin’ Time – The Endless Possibilities of Quilting
- Words by Peppermint
top image JUSTICE MCNEIL OF THREAD AND SPROUT
As we wander deep into winter in the southern hemisphere, our hearts and wardrobes begin to yearn for the cosy, the cuddly, perhaps even the snuggly. And what represents those qualities more than the humble quilt? Unfortunately, it’s not yet acceptable to swaddle yourself in Grandma’s old quilt and head out into the world – as Edna Mode once said, “No capes.” But, fear not! Quilting, you see, is not just for quilts.
According to the Secret Sewing Council which defines all the definitions and makes all the rules, “quilting” is not “the act of making cute quilts” but in fact the technique of joining a minimum of three layers of fabric and stitching through all the layers to create a three-dimensional padded surface. Anything can be quilted!
So toss your blankies aside and allow us to take you on a magical journey of the endless possibilities of quilting.
From little things…
Piecing together a big ass blanket can be an intimidating endeavour. Why not build up your quilting muscles with a small project?
Suzy Quilts – whose website is a wonderful repository of quilting knowledge where you are starting from baby basics or jonesing for those high-level quilt patterns – has some great tutorials on small quilting projects for groovy accessories like a quilted sleep mask or a cool quilted collar!
Eliane of Patchwork & Poodles was looking for a way to use up offcuts from her quilted coat projects when she developed her adorable Mini Quilted Zipper Pouch project. And, of course, we would be remiss not to mention our own teensy quilting project – the quilted coasters we made with Spoonflower.
The amazing technicolour dreamcoat
When taking quilting to the world of apparel, the obvious place to start is with quilted coats. It’s effectively a blanket with arms, perfect for encasing yourself in cosy contentment.
Brittney Frey and Romy from @SewLike have both shared some pretty comprehensive tomes of tips and tricks for crafting a quilted coat, while Eliane has compiled a rousing roundup of coat sewing patterns that work well with quilted fabrics.
Theoretically, you’d think you could take any pattern and simply cut the requisite pieces out of quilted fabric but it’s not that straightforward. The process of quilting adds bulk and reduces drape so you should consider how that will impact the fit and flow of a garment. In general, quilted fabrics work best in garments where structure is a plus.
See my vest
If coats are a tad too bulky for your climate or vibe, or maybe you want to keep your core warm but suffer from chronically hot arms, a quilted vest might be the solution for you! Embrace the adult bib life with these cool quilted vests, which go over your head and fasten at the sides, to create the optimal canvas for your beautiful quilt work on the front and back. Meredith from Sew Liberated goes into more detail about how she made her version here.
Quilts maketh the clothes
Even more traditionally free-flowing garments are not impossible to quilt – they might just require an extra moment of consideration. @Tartan_Tarlatan and @The.M.Archives show off their sweet pants made from secondhand quilts, and @Spaghetti_Western_Sewing and WithWendy’s adorable quilted baby doll dresses give that chic, straight-from-bed, Cecilie Bahnsen vibe.
Skip the Q
And a final pro tip… If you are hesitant to dive into the deep end of quilting – Wadding? Wacky rulers? Walking feet? What does it all mean? – there is often a treasure trove of secondhand quilts hidden in op-shop corners waiting to be re-loved and transformed into something new!
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On the 14th of April 2013 the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed, tragically killing 1134 workers and injuring over 2,500 more.
Every year we commemorate this devastating and avoidable loss of life and advocate for better working conditions for all during Fashion Revolution Week, which runs from 22nd-28th April in 2026.
This year there are different themes for each day of the week, with the annual Mend In Public day falling right in the middle, on Saturday 25th April.
This is your cue to gather your community, settle in and commit some time, attention and creativity to mending your clothes in the pursuit of extending their life in your wardrobe. Be it patching, embroidery, sewing or stitching, there are many ways to resolve structural and aesthetic issues in your garments that will see you donning them for years to come!
If it’s a bit tricky to get mending on the day itself (it will be ANZAC Day here in Australia) then fear not. Any time is the right time for mending so if you need to take needle in hand on another day that will do just fine!
Comment below if you know of any events you`d like to share happening in your community.
Learn more and get involved:
@FashionRevolutionAustralia
@Fash_Rev
FashionRevolution.org
#FashionRevolution #WhoMadeMyClothes #MendInPublicDay
“This is just a reminder to you to go for your big dreams! They might just work out.” ❤️
And we’re so glad you did, Emma!
From @CinnamonDaisyStudio:
No biggie, I’m just in a really cool magazine 🥹
When @Laura_The_Maker reached out to me last year to ask if I’d be interested in being featured in @PeppermintMagazine I didn’t hold back. I 100% fan girled 🤣 it was obviously a yes!
Getting to talk about the positive impact sewing your own clothes has on your body image is the BEST. I started sewing my own clothes because the standard doesn’t fit me. But I wasn’t expecting to heal my body image at the same time. What a wonderful byproduct ❤️🩹
So this is just a reminder to you to go for your big dreams! They might just work out ❤️
Mother`s Day Chocolate Treats Subscription Special! 🌟
This very sweet subscription offer comes with some glorious goodies, thanks to our friends at @TheOriginalCocoaTradersCo!
Our lovely community manager Em, runs us through the offer.
SUBSCRIBE FOR $79 AND RECEIVE:
🌟 1 x 12-month Peppermint Subscription!
PLUS!
🌟 Vegan, gluten-free, 43% cocoa, Certified-Organic Taming The Jackalope Drinking Chocolate from @TheOriginalCocoaTradersCo
🌟 Vegan, gluten-free, 70% cocoa, Certified-Organic Ship To Wreck Chocolate Flakes from @TheOriginalCocoaTradersCo
🌟 Issue 64 (includes a free code for the #PeppermintDaisyDress digital sewing pattern!)
🌟 A5 art card of our exclusive ‘Together We Rise’ Issue 60 cover design by @LukeJohnMatthewArnold
🌟 All wrapped in fabric from @DoopsDesigns
Price includes postage! This special offer is available to Australian addresses only. Don`t miss out – there`s limited numbers!
🌟 Link in bio!
#PeppermintMagazine #MothersDay
Calling all brands who give a damn! 📣
Bookings for our wonderful Sew&Tell digital issue are now open – if you are an awesome creative brand that fits right in with Peppermint`s ethos of style, sustainability, sewing and substance, get in touch. Or if you know of one who might be keen – tag them below. We have packages for budgets both big and small, but spots are limited, so don`t wait too long to get in touch!
Drop us a line at Mandy@PeppermintMag.Com for a chat with Mandy, our lovely advertising manager – she`ll help you find the best way to share your good work with our awesome audience.
We`d sew love to work with you! ✨️🧵✨️
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💛 BFF GIVEAWAY 💛
Generous, messy, creative, spiky, warm, enigmatic… our best friends come in many flavours. But they all have one thing in common: they make the world a far better, more interesting place to be.
Inspired by Sam and Sadie’s complicated ‘forever’ bond in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by @GabrielleZevin (a firm Peppermint fave ‘friendy’ read), we’ve rounded up some iconic fictional duos from books, movies and TV - the ride-or-dies, bosom buddies, chosen family, the ‘you’re-my-person’ people.
They all remind us that the non-romantic kind of love is always worth the effort (and it’s often the kind that lasts!). Think Anne Shirley and Diana Barry, Calvin and Hobbes, Snoopy and Woodstock, Eloise and Penelope… Head to the link in bio to read the full story and meet them all!
We’ve got two copies of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow to gift to one lucky Peppermint reader and their bestie, thanks to @PenguinBooksAus.
To enter:
✨Follow us and @PenguinBooksAus
✨Tag your best friend in the comments
✨Tell them why they’re so darn great!
Because as Sadie tells Sam: true collaborators in life are rare. And very much worth celebrating.
Winner drawn Tuesday 21 April 2pm. Australian addresses only. Good luck! 📖
#BFF #BookGiveaway #TomorrowAndTomorrowAndTomorrow
Mother`s Day Chocolate Treats Subscription Special! 🌟
It`s almost time to celebrate that special person in your life who has motherly energy – mum, aunty, single parent, queer parent, grandparent, caregiver... or maybe just someone who happens to love getting chocolate treats (and hey, maybe that someone is YOU!).
This very sweet subscription offer comes with some glorious goodies, thanks to our friends at @TheOriginalCocoaTradersCo!
SUBSCRIBE FOR $79 AND RECEIVE:
🌟 1 x 12-month Peppermint Subscription
PLUS!
🌟 Vegan, gluten-free, 43% cocoa, Certified-Organic Taming The Jackalope Drinking Chocolate from @TheOriginalCocoaTradersCo
🌟 Vegan, gluten-free, 70% cocoa, Certified-Organic Ship To Wreck Chocolate Flakes from @TheOriginalCocoaTradersCo
🌟 Issue 64 (includes a free code for the #PeppermintDaisyDress digital sewing pattern!)
🌟 A5 art card of our exclusive ‘Together We Rise’ Issue 60 cover design by @LukeJohnMatthewArnold
🌟 All wrapped in fabric from @DoopsDesigns
Price includes postage! This special offer is available to Australian addresses only. Don`t miss out – there`s limited numbers!
🌟 Link in bio 🌟
#PeppermintMagazine #MothersDay
