Hello! Because we are both free from uni, Katie and I have decided that every Tuesday is now going to be Craft Tuesday (we really need a better name. Any suggestions?) Anyway, we have wanted to make these clay fried eggs (I wanted a brooch, Katie wanted to make a hair clip) for a while now, so on our first ever Craft Tuesday we decided to give it a go! The original tutorial that we used is from Girl Guts, but it's always nice to see things in motion too, so we decided that we would make a short little video tutorial on what we did!
The materials that you will need are listed in the video's description. Enjoy!
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Saturday, 10 May 2014
DIY Egg Brooch/Hair Clip
Monday, 5 May 2014
Mendl's Patisserie
I needed to find some outlet for my love of the new Wes Anderson movie The Grand Budapest Hotel, and this apparently involved me dressing up like an extra from a Wes Anderson film and setting up a miniature photoshoot on top of my kitchen table.
I nicked this Mendl's box from my local cinema as we were leaving the movie (don't worry, there were about 200 of the things and they were probably just going to be thrown out at the end of the promotion), the whole time feeling an affinity with Zero Moustafa and Mr Gustave as they stole the Boy with Apple (because the stakes for my theft were definitely as high as they were in the film).
I desperately want to live in a world with the aesthetic of the Grand Budapest Hotel - really, of any Wes Anderson movie. But while seamless virtual reality is still a good few decades away, I'll have to make do with my outfit posts and photoshop to pretend that that world exists.
Sweater is vintage | top - can't remember | belt and skirt are thrifted | socks are handmade | shoes are from Naot
I think I might also have to do a Moonrise Kingdom inspired shoot now. With that pink dress. You know, for consistency, and definitely not because I want to be Suzy Bishop (I do, though the person I know who comes closest to achieving that is Polly Bland). I hope that you're all having the sweetest day! Bloglovin' | Youtube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Chictopia | Lookbook | Tumblr |
Friday, 2 May 2014
DIY Crop Top
As promised, I have made a tutorial on how to turn a loose-fitting, long-sleeved top into a cute crop top! For this project, you can basically use any stretchy shirt that is either in your size, or is up to a few sizes too big for you. Have fun!
Much love,
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Wednesday, 30 April 2014
Orange Soda | We Are All Related
Shirt is thrifted + DIY | socks are DIY | skirt and headband are thrifted | shoes are from Japan
I am pretty dang proud of myself right now, because I figured out how to make a tight-fitting crop top out of a loose, long-sleeved shirt! It's the one I'm wearing right now :D And I think that I'll upload a DIY on it very soon - I've got plans to do this to many of my cute-but-a-bit-too-big t-shirts! For good measure, I also made the sleeves into a matching pair of socks (which I have a DIY for here).
I can't believe that I also had the good luck of thrifting this headband and skirt together the other day! The headband is actually handmade, so I'm really happy that I get to give it a good home. Total cost of my outfit minus the shoes - about $3 (though I think the shoes were only about $30, anyway).
So I love this video from Vsauce. According to geneticists, you and I are, at the very least, 50th cousins! In fact, every human living on Earth today is related to someone who lived from 2,000 to 4,000 years ago. And that person most likely lived in Taiwan.
How crazy is that??
Watch the video, it'll blow your mind.
I hope that you're all having the most wonderful week so far!
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Saturday, 26 April 2014
DIY Heart Pinafore (tutorial + outfit)
Blouse is thrifted | pinafore is DIY | socks are c/o Sock Dreams
If you follow me on instagram then I've spoiled the surprise already, but this is what I got up to yesterday! This idea for a heart-shaped pinafore dress has literally been stopping me from sleeping for the past few nights, because I've been way too excited to make it! (Do any other sewers out there get inconveniently-timed sewing-inspirations at 4am in the morning? I sure do.)
The stretchy gingham material was an awesome find - $2 from the op-shop. I recommend to everybody that they search for fabrics in op-shops before resorting to places like spotlight (not only do these fabrics need to find new homes, but it's about 20 times cheaper).
And of course, I made a video explaining exactly how to make one for yourself! It's actually pretty easy to do - if you're able to make a skirt then you will have no problems turning it into a cute pinafore. In fact, this is the easy part.
You could even turn an old skirt into a heart-shaped pinafore dress using this tutorial - you don't have to start entirely from scratch!
Let me know what you think, and if you happen to give it (or any of my other tutorials) a go, then send me a photo using #diyannika on instagram.
I hope that you're all having a lovely day,
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Wednesday, 23 April 2014
Fashion Revolution
Everything is thrifted, except for socks (though you can DIY your own)
It might seem like a simple question, but have you ever really thought about it? It can feel like clothes begin their lives on hangers in shiny shopping malls, and from there they make a quick trip to our wardrobes (or in the case of online shopping, they magically appear on our doorsteps). It's a fact of our lives, how we were raised, to not give a thought about the life of our clothes before they end up in our stores. Depending on the brand, your clothes may have come from any number of countries all over the world. However it's a sad fact that most labels who source their clothes from relatively poor countries don't provide a living wage to their workers (i.e. enough for that worker to be able to buy food, basic entertainment and live in decent housing). Many companies don't even know exactly who makes their clothes, because the chain of work becomes buried in subcontract after subcontract - and sadly, many are linked with forced and child labour. Fashion Revolution Day believes that fashion has the potential to be a force for good in the world (something I wholeheartedly agree with!) And as both lovers and consumers of fashion we have the power to change how it's done. By asking "who made my clothes?" and refusing to buy from retailers who cannot or will not answer that question, we can make a difference - we can start making brands be accountable for the rights of their workers, and start providing safe working conditions and living wages.
How you can contribute to the fashion revolution
Choose thrifting over fast fashion
Find your nearest charity stores and go nuts. Yes, at some point, some of these clothes could have been made using forced or unethical labour. But these clothes have already been bought by someone else, and so your money never goes to the retailers who originally sold the item and does not in any way support their practices, good or bad. In fact, secondhand stores prevent these clothes from going into landfill! Plus, the money you spend on these clothes usually goes into charities that help disadvantaged people.
I pretty much exclusively buy my clothes from thrift shops. Not only is it hella cheap, it satisfies that fast-fashion-urge and allows you stay on-trend, as you can basically find anything you need if you know where and how to look! (If you guys are interested in a thrifting-tips video, then I may be able to provide! Let me know in the comments.)
Who made my clothes?? I made my clothes!
You guys have seen all my DIY tutorials, right?? In that case, you probably already know that I'm a big advocate of making your own clothes. I'm trying to figure out how to make my own entire wardrobe, and this blog has documented much of that process! p.s. Get your fabrics from thrift stores, or make sure that it's certified fair trade. One of the most unaccountable processes of the fashion supply chain is in the production of raw materials. Buy ethically. Sometimes you might have to shell out a bit of extra cash to buy ethically. But it turns out that you don't even have to do that. Last year I did a bunch of research and compiled an Ethical Fashion Directory of super cute, cheap and ethically-sourced clothing and accessories.
Do your research
Educate yourself! Not all brands are evil, but it's good to know which ones to be wary of. Free2Work is a fantastic site
listing many large retailers (such as Zara, H&M, Forever 21 and
Target) and how they compare to each other on matters like
accountability, transparency and worker's rights.Spread the word. April 24th is Fashion Revolution day! You can show your support by wearing your clothes #insideout (okay, so I might not personally do this one because a) I have a psychologist's appointment tomorrow and I think that would probably worry them and b) I am also going to a waterpark and wearing a swimsuit inside-out is not ever a good idea) but the idea is to share your #insideout photo on twitter or instagram, with the name of the brand, i.e.
I want to know who made my [@brandname] dress etc #insideout
You can also take the opportunity to post something to your facebook page, talk to your friends, or even send messages to clothing companies asking them "who makes your clothes?" Companies will change if enough of its consumers demand it - otherwise they'll go out of business! I hope that you're all having an amazing day, Bloglovin' | Youtube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Chictopia | Lookbook | Tumblr |
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