{"id":7061,"date":"2026-08-15T19:50:53","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T19:50:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=7061"},"modified":"2026-08-15T19:50:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T19:50:53","slug":"magazine-recommendation-sew-and-tell-issue-4-free-pattern-until-8-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=7061","title":{"rendered":"Magazine Recommendation: Sew and Tell Issue 4 \u2013 Free Pattern until 8\/20!"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> Way back when Peppermint Magazine<\/strong> <\/a>could still afford to give their PDF patterns away for free<\/a>, I learnt about them through a fat sewing blog, Broad in the Seams<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now Peppermint Magazine has a \u2018pay what you can afford\u2019 model with a minimum amount that varies by pattern \u2013 with some patterns still being free!<\/p>\n

I have made a few of their patterns in the past and been really impressed with the quality and care with which they were designed.<\/p>\n

I have made three of the Bardon Dress<\/a> which now has a minimum cost of AUD10.<\/p>\n

<\/a>The Peppermint Bardon Dress<\/p>\n

And I\u2019ve made two of the Pleated Summer Dress<\/a> which now also has a minimum cost of AUD 10.<\/p>\n

<\/a>The Peppermint Pleated Summer Dress<\/p>\n

These dresses have been my summer wardrobe for years now. They\u2019re comfortable enough to lounge around in at home but smart enough to wear in public and look like you tried, when really I put in zero effort. I trust their patterns and their detailed instructions completely.<\/p>\n

While I\u2019m an avid instagram follower of theirs, it never occurred to me to read the magazine because the exchange rate for us South Africans is ruinous.<\/p>\n

But the library subscribes! HELL YES!<\/strong><\/a> I found this magazine through Libby!<\/a><\/p>\n

I picked up Sew and Tell issue four \u2013 their sewing- and craft-focused digital magazine and it was glorious<\/em>!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a behemoth at 236 pages so I haven\u2019t finished reading it yet, BUT it includes a pattern for a great tracksuit that is free until 20 August 2026<\/strong> so I needed to get this post to you STAT.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

The Wattle Tracksuit<\/a> comes free with the Sew and Tell at AUD16 or you can buy only the pattern for AUD14. Their recent patterns, including this one, go up to a 60\u201d or 153cm hip. I have downloaded the Wattle tracksuit and will be making it. Maybe not the top yet but definitely the joggers as mine have seen better days.<\/p>\n

There is a second free pattern that comes with the magazine, a T-shirt pattern. This seems to be the pattern most often available for free from independent designers.<\/p>\n

While we\u2019re talking about the makes (and before we get to the rest of the magazine) what other DIY makes are included in Sew and Tell? There are how-tos for a pickle ornament, DIYs using towels \u2013 including a bag and hat, making a top out of a tablecloth, two other bags and a, frankly, silly neck collar.<\/p>\n

I find with craft magazines, there\u2019s usually only one maybe two crafts that I\u2019d actually make. In this case, I\u2019d definitely make the tablecloth top. It\u2019s a simple pattern but when you\u2019re using vintage tablecloths, you want a simple sewing pattern so that the tablecloth fabric can confidently take centre stage.<\/p>\n

In keeping with their approach to sewing patterns, the instructions for the DIY makes are extensive, clear and helpful. For example, the instructions for making a cute ruched bag take up five pages! So often with craft magazines I find their instructions too sparing and not all that easy to follow.<\/p>\n

They also have the world\u2019s clearest illustrations for basic crochet stitches along with a pattern for a potholder. So even total beginners are accommodated.<\/p>\n

What about the rest of the magazine? The editor sums up this issue perfectly:<\/p>\n

\u201cThis issue is a celebration of sewing slowly, making and mending thoughtfully, crafting for purpose and protest, and finding joy in creating things that are meant to be used, loved, repaired and passed on.\u201d<\/h4>\n

Visually, it is a feast for the eyes. While the design is clean, there is an abundance of colour and pattern \u2013 something that really feeds my soul. I appreciated how it broadened my horizons too. There are crafters and pattern makers and fibre artists from all around the world in the magazine, featured either in small snippets or full-length articles. My instagram feed has been rejuvenated by finding the creators there and following them.<\/p>\n

A particular favourite feature in this issue is their focus on weddings. There are stories about handmade weddings, suggestions for patterns to make your own wedding dress or wedding guest outfit, interviews with wedding outfit designers and more. It\u2019s a lovely aspect of the magazine and something that I enjoyed as I have long been pondering what dress to sew for my wedding (which will happen at some point in the future when I can be bothered to figure out the immigration paperwork).<\/p>\n

This magazine is absolutely worth your time and energy \u2013 even if just for the cute tracksuit pattern! I\u2019m going to abandon my computer now and get back to reading the magazine. Remember the tracksuit is only free with the magazine until 20 August 2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can borrow this issue from Libby,<\/strong><\/a> or purchase it from Peppermint Magazine.<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Way back when Peppermint Magazine could still afford to give their PDF patterns away for free, I learnt about them through a fat sewing blog, Broad in the Seams. Now Peppermint Magazine has a \u2018pay what you can afford\u2019 model with a minimum amount that varies by pattern \u2013 with some patterns still being free! […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":7062,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7061"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7061"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7061\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}