The Essentials Club
- Words by Peppermint
We LOVE it when we stumble upon someone doing something awesome in the sustainable fashion and lifestyle space, which is why we had smiles a mile wide when we found The Essentials Club – a website crammed with beautiful DIY fashion projects and sustainability tips and tricks, all wrapped up in one gorgeous, minimalist space.
The brainchild of creative Maddy Rawlings (who runs her own Gold Coast-based branding design studio), The Essentials Club is a one-stop shop for all the super chic, super simple #memade projects you could wish for – we love these DIY linen culottes, this cami top with tie sleeves and this classic slip dress. Maddy’s ethos is ‘Make what you can, and ethically source the rest’, and she’s driven by a desire to show other people how easy it is to make their own clothes.
“I learnt to sew in high school, and fell in love with the process of dreaming up garments and then bringing them to life,” she explains. “Being glued to a screen all day for work meant sewing became my tangible creative escape – and even though it brought me so much joy, it was a hobby that got a bit neglected as life and work got busier. I created The Essentials Club with the aim of holding me accountable to make time for sewing and help educate people on how to make their own garments. Initially I was more passionate about the creative process, but then I discovered what really gave me purpose was sharing resources to help people become more sustainable but still stylish – with sewing tutorials, upcycling tips and insights into choosing preloved.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Maddy also features sustainable lifestyle tips, recipes, city guides and homeware tutorials – meaning she’s pretty much a total all-rounder. We’ll be featuring some of Maddy’s awesome work in the coming months, so watch this space!
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“We love that we can bring a hint of imagination and whimsy into everyday life by making ordinary objects fun. We’ve learned to appreciate the little wins and to take a moment for each step we achieve.”
Disillusioned by the realities of fast fashion, design grads Emily May and Sidonie Moore ditched clothing for a business that finds fun in the everyday. Enter @TheNonsenseMaker: a collection of unique homewares, fun wall art, greeting cards and more that breathe life into Emily’s illustrations: “I love the idea of taking real-world objects and changing your perspective in a way that brings magic and whimsy into everyday life!”
In issue 64’s feature ‘It all makes sense’, we chat to the Naarm/Melbourne-based duo about their sustainability philosophy, TV re-runs and their commitment to local makers. At stockists now!
Photos: @MeAndMyGirl
#PeppermintMagazine #TheNonsenseMaker #LocalMakers #SustainableCraft
Any New Year’s resolutions on your list? We love this from @OtterBeeStitching - “be brave enough to suck at something new”.
There’s no points for perfection, but you’ll get a trophy for trying. If nothing else this year, take the leap and try something new.
#OtterBeeStitching #Embroidery #BeBrave #TrySomethingNew #EmbroideryArt
Sunday serving suggestion ☀️
Gorgeous photos from @JolieFemmeStore - who make sweet garments from vintage bedsheets.
#PeppermintMagazine #SlowSunday #SwitchOff #Unplug #ReadAMagazine
A toast to the old you 🥂
We wholeheartedly love this post from the brilliant @EmilyOnLife:
“2026: Reinvent, burn it down, let it go (whatever it is). Year of the Snake it up. Exercise your boundaries, exercise your body, take one teeny step every day towards a life that feels better to be in.
But don’t you dare shit on your old self while you do it.
Hold yourself with reverence and tenderness and respect, because you got you this far. You did your very best with the information and tools you had at the time. You scraped yourself together, you made it work, you survived what felt impossible to survive: again and again and again.
You are perpetually in the process of becoming, whether you can feel it or not, whether or not you add it to your 2026 to-do list.“
Some very wise words from @Damon.Gameau to take us into 2026 🙌🏼
⭐️ We made it!!! ⭐️
Happy New Year, friends. To those who smashed their goals and achieved their dreams, and to those who are crawling over the finish line hoping to never speak of this year again (and everyone else in between): we made it. However you got here is enough. Be proud.
It’s been a tough year for many of us in small business, so here’s to a better year in 2026. We’re forever grateful for all your support and are jumping for joy to still be here bringing you creativity, kindness and community.
We’re also excited to be leaping into the NY with our special release sewing pattern – the Waratah Wrap Dress!
How great are our fabulous models: @Melt.Stitches, @KatieMakesADress and @Tricky.Pockets - and also our incredible Sewing Manager @Laura_The_Maker! 🙌🏼
Ok 2026: let’s do this. 💪🏼
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #MeMade #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
