The Slow Clothing Project
- Words by Peppermint
There’s a palpable feeling of satisfaction that comes from making clothes yourself – the dress you sewed, the jumper you knitted and even that favourite pair of jeans you’ve patched over and over again have a personal significance that no amount of money can buy. Perhaps the dress is made from something your mum used to wear, or the jumper incorporates a particularly tricky knitting technique mastered only after many dropped stitches (and swear words!), and maybe the scraps used to mend your jeans came from your boyfriend’s old shirt. Handmade and hand-mended garments all have stories to them, and The Slow Clothing Project is seeking them out in order to start a national conversation about clothing use, ethics and sustainability.
Led by Textile Beat founder Jane Milburn, the project’s original aim was to collect 40 handmade garments from 40 makers across Australia to be showcased at various conferences and public spaces this year. The garments reflect Textile Beat’s slow clothing manifesto – many are made from natural, high quality, locally made or salvaged textiles – and they aim to encourage people to think about the different ways they can reduce their wardrobe’s negative impact on people and the environment. As with most good ideas, The Slow Clothing Project has taken on a life of its own, with nearly 150 people signed up to contribute and registrations still rolling in. Jane’s revised plan for the project is to have more than 100 makers involved and to showcase their work digitally – the first few makers and the stories behind their garments are already up on the website, so head over for some inspiration. And if you’d like to share your own Slow Clothing masterpiece, it’s not too late to pick up your needle and thread and join in!
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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
