Peppermint’s New Sewing Expert Commits To Shopping Her Fabric Stash…
- Words by Peppermint
We are beyond thrilled to introduce Peppermint’s sparkly new Sewing Coordinator, the lovely Laura Jackson. Based on Gubbi Gubbi land (the Sunshine Coast), Laura is a wearer of all things bright and homemade and the master of all matters stitchy and crafty. This multi-talented human (she is also our People and Culture expert) is our go-to gal for pep talks, project inspiration and sewing conundrums. So, if you’ve got a question, we reckon she probably has the answer; send it Laura’s way at sewing@peppermintmag.com.
In her first article for Peppermint, Laura tells us about an encounter with a pattern designer that sparked a year-long shopping challenge…
WORDS: LAURA JACKSON PHOTOS: KELLEY SHEENAN
I recently met a wonderful pattern designer who told me that she doesn’t have a fabric stash; instead, she buys material specifically for each project. Let me tell you, I had a physical response to this news. As someone who has a heaving stash of beautiful fabrics in her studio (see above), I just couldn’t fathom how this fellow sewist was able to walk past aisles and aisles – and trawl through pages and pages of websites – filled with colours and textures without accruing a little pile of treasure for her future self to sew.
Trust me, I know this new friend has the right idea. When we buy for a specific project, we purchase the amount of fabric we need, which leads to fewer kilos of textile landfill – and let’s face it, that’s something we should all be striving for.
Which got me thinking, could I possibly commit to a year of “shopping my stash”? That is, only using fabrics that I already have in my studio?
Being blessed (cursed?) with some healthy self-belief and a can-do attitude, I was quick to commit to the challenge… sort of. When it comes to new ideas, I have a tendency to be a bit gung-ho – I lean in just a little too hard. Over the years, I’ve learned that going cold turkey isn’t always the path to success. As a performance coach (my other career!) I know that sometimes smaller measures will get you closer to where you want to go. So, what does that look like for this “shop my stash” mission?
The first rule is that I have to dig through my collection before I consider other fabric sources. If there’s something that suits the pattern I plan to sew and it’s the right size, then – ding, ding, ding! – we have a winner! If not, my next step is thrifting. If I see something I love in an op shop, if there’s fabric up for grabs on a community noticeboard or if I find a treasure at a destash market, I can buy it.
Gifted fabric is another exception. If my mother-in-law happens to give me the 1970s baroque gold bedspread that’s on the downstairs bed in my husband’s family home, then I can accept it and turn it into a coat (come on, Enid, hook a sister up!). If I’m given new fabric for a Peppermint project, I’ll take it. And if I’m sewing for a specific event or occasion, there’s some wiggle room in the rules there, too.
While this might read like a rather long list of loopholes, my mission ultimately comes down to being more intentional about what I sew with. So many of us are trying to be more present in our daily life, to buy food and nurture our relationships in a more considered way, why shouldn’t we extend that thinking to our crafts?
So, I invite you to join me as I embark on a year of shopping my stash. Who’s with me? Tag your Peppermint sewing pattern makes with #PeppermintShoppingMyStash and we can celebrate a year of thrifty, sustainable projects together (who knows, you might just find yourself in our next instalment of The Stitch Up!).
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TOGETHER WE STITCH RETURNS! 🪡✨
Ditch the dishes. Clear your cutting table. Pop the kettle on. Because Together We Stitch is back from 15 to 22 March for seven joy-filled days of sewing, learning and reveling in the joy of shared community, no matter where you are in the world!
Hosted by Megan from @SewAndTell.Co, this global online sewing event brings thousands of makers together for a week of practical know-how, confidence boosts and those “why didn’t I know this sooner?!” moments.
This year’s line-up is packed with masterclasses and practical inspiration, like:
🪡 Simple knit finishing tricks to make your garments look store-bought by @SewAndTell.Co’s Megan Linley
🪡 Troubleshooting your sewing machine by Jenni Miller from @LetsGetSewingNow
🪡 Hands-on pattern adjustments for sway back from @GinaReneeDesigns
🪡 An interview with Brandon Hayden from @HappilyDressed about building a garment around the fabric you love
🪡 Iron Care 101 by @MicheleMuska
🪡 Kate Boyle from @MindMovementHealth shares posture tips and exercises to help prevent sewing aches and pains
🪡 An easy jeans-to-skirt upcycle project from @LaCreativeMama’s Victoria Martinez Azaro
🪡 DIY custom fabrics and creative craft-room upgrades by Stephanie Young from @So_Stephanie_Says
🪡 Plus choosing prints with intention, making your dream wardrobe a reality, and meeting the creator of Project & Cut, Clinton Blackmore to talk all things PDF pattern future
Together We Stitch is all about expert-led sessions, creative demos, practical tips you can take straight to your sewing table, and a community that celebrates every win along the way. Join live or catch the replays when it suits you.
Head to togetherwestitch.com or hit the link in bio to save your seat. 🪡
#TogetherWeStitch #SewingExpo #SewingInspo #MeMade #SewingCommunity #SewistsOfInstagram
Coffee begins long before your morning cuppa! ☕️
2026 has been declared the International Year of the Woman Farmer, led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the @UnitedNations. It’s a global spotlight with a practical purpose: to recognise women’s indispensable roles across agrifood systems, and to push for the changes that still haven’t arrived evenly, like equal access to land, finance, training, technology and decision-making.
Into that bigger picture steps Elizabeth Duna, a coffee farmer from Papua New Guinea and the chairwoman of the Keto-Tapasi Progress Association. Elizabeth is also the only female chairperson across the @FairtradeANZ cooperative network in the Pacific, overseeing farmers across the association and helping ensure Fairtrade standards are met.
We had the privilege of chatting to Elizabeth (just in time for International Woman’s Day this Sunday, too!) about what’s been growing and changing within her cooperative, what ‘fair trade’ means to her, and the hopes that manifest in a ‘simple’ bag of coffee beans.
Link in bio ☕️
#FairTrade #FairTradeCoffee #InternationalWomensDay
DIFFICULT ✊🏻✊🏽✊🏿
The collab we needed for International Women`s Day… and every day!
From @DangerousFemales:
"Hands up if you’ve ever been called difficult behind your back, to your face, or by an Australian Prime Minister during a Q&A?
DIFFICULT by Grace Tame, in her own handwriting is… one word: ICONIC!
100% of profits from our tees are donated, 100% of the time. Funds from this @TamePunk tee will go to @BerylWomen_inc, a First Nations led women’s refuge in the ACT.
Kinda ironic, don’t ya think?
Supporting an org in the parliament state with words from a politician for Australia’s longest running and underfunded women’s refuge.
Thank you @TamePunk for being difficult." 🫶🙌
Link in bio to get behind this tee!
#InternationalWomensDay #DangerousFemales #GraceTame #Difficult
NEW PATTERN ALERT 🎉
She’s giving comfort, she’s giving style, she’s giving palate-cleansing sewing. There’s nothing quite like an easy breezy dress that’s not only a dream to wear but a delight to sew, and the NEW Peppermint Myrtle Shift Dress delivers!
Cute, classic and cool with a touch of retro: the Myrtle Shift Dress is a beginner-friendly make with sleek lines and elegant curves. Bust darts are in play for shaping and spacious pockets to hold all your treasures. Top-stitching detail around the neck and armholes invites creative contrast threads and the keyhole loop closure at the back neck begs for a feature button (or a tie closure!).
Myrtle cuts above the knee with options to customise the length. Don’t think she’s reserved for hot weather either: try a heavier-weight fabric to turn your Myrtle into a pinafore-style garment for layering.
For our fabrics we chose two from @Karmme_Apparel – the bold Rottnest Stripes in a lightweight, soft-drape cotton, and the quality linen in the handpainted Mexico Collection. Karmme also stocks darling tassels so we popped a hot pink one on as a closure!
The love child of Imby Langenbach, Karmme Apparel (fittingly pronounced ‘calm’), is a haven of boho apparel sewing patterns alongside complementary fabrics steeped in tradition with modern iterations from Jaipur, India. Hand block-printed and digitally printed soft cottons produced by Indian artisans showcase rich colours and designs from Imby’s travels, perfect for showing off me-made masterpieces.
Our dresses were superbly stitched by our sewing manager @Laura_The_Maker, and modelled magnificently by Shannon @Pins_And_Tonic and Serah @SerahSews. And that perfect pink wall was courtesy of the good folk at @ShareTheDignityAustralia, an organisation that aims to bring dignity to women, girls and those who menstruate who are experiencing homelessness, domestic violence and period poverty.
Get making the Myrtle – the only question is, can you stop at just one?
Link in bio 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Sewist: @Laura_The_Maker
Patternmaker: @GarmentaApparel
Models: @SerahSews and @Pins_And_Tonic
Fabric: @Karmme_Apparel
#PeppermintMyrtleShiftDress #PeppermintPatterns
Connection 🫶🏻
Such great ideas from @GrowWithColby:
“A common theme I noticed in 2025:
Everyone is craving more connection.
Use these friend nights to make it happen in 2026.
Send this to the people you want to do these with.”
#Connection #Friends #Community
No bull - these pants are the cat`s (or cow`s) pyjamas...
Jenny from @RhubarbSundays:
And they are done! My @PeppermintMagazine #PeppermintFernPleatedPants made using a gorgeous fabric from @IndyBindyFabrics! I absolutely love this fabric! It’s soft and drapes beautifully. And the best thing about it is that, from a distance, it looks like an abstract print and then you look closer and theres a curious bull looking right at you. 🤣🤣 🐄 🐮
Really happy with the end product. They are very comfy! I didn’t make many changes to the pattern. Just a touch more room in the rise and a little bit off the waist. I’ll post some closeups of the details tomorrow when I actually take them off. 🤣 "
Grab the pattern from the link in bio!
#PeppermintPatterns #IMakeMyOwnClothes #ClothesThatFeelLikePyjamas #SewersGonnaSew
