The Pineneedle Collective

Saturday, 24 January 2015

This is where I live now / Cheung Chau

Yesterday we explored this amazing island called Cheung Chau, and I wore what I decided to call my "flirty grandma" outfit - complete with a functioning harmonica necklace! (I will forever embrace the granny chic aesthetic). I couldn't help myself but go back to Me & George - the lace top, skirt and cardigan are all pieces that I picked up there on my second trip (all together they were HK$100, which is about US $12.90!)

It wasn't exactly beach weather, but it was the perfect temperature for cycling around exploring the beautiful fishing town.

I also made a dorky video of me cycling around (I had many people laughing at me for using a selfie stick while cycling, which was fair because I'm sure I looked somewhat ridiculous):

It's so pretty here. I wanted to cry when we had to leave.

Top, cardigan and skirt from Me & George (vintage) | socks are from Japan | shoes are Naot Kedma's | jewellery is thrifted

And this is Leila's outfit (isn't she a babe?). Her skirt is also from Me & George. It's our favourite place.

Until next time,

Thursday, 22 January 2015

Hong Kong Video/Vlog/Vintage Haul!

Hello! I promised I'd show you all the *amazing* vintage haul that I made the other day at a shop called Me & George - and so I made a video. I tried to make it different to your typical haul video where people just sit there holding up clothes and yakking about the things they bought (although I reserve the right to do that in the future - filming this took quite some time). I hope that you like it!

p.s. if there are any Hong Kong locals who read my blog & would like to meet up, get in contact!

Love love love,

Tuesday, 20 January 2015

Urban Jungle // Hong Kong Rooftop

Everywhere that I go in Hong Kong I am surrounded by beauty, whether it be the chaotic centre of consumerism that is the main Hong Kong island, or the laid-back rural islands only a 30-minute ferry ride away. Hong Kong is an overwhelming patchwork city where Chanel and Dior shops exist a mere 1 minute walk from the neon-lit signs of dodgy pawn shops and illegal rooftop slums, and nature interweaves with skyscrapers. 6 days in, and I have already fallen in love with this city.

(p.s. Mum if you're reading this - I wasn't being unsafe by sitting on the ledge of this building, there's a small balcony underneath it so please don't worry!)

These photos were taken up on the rooftop of the building in which we are staying before Leila and I headed out to explore the beautiful Lamma island. It's amazing how close by a quiet rural island can be to this bustling, noisy metropolis.

I'm wearing a few handmade and thrifted Hong Kong finds today - this preppy cardigan is from the amazing Mee & Gee thrift shop, and my earrings and necklace are from HKID gallery, which showcases a number of small Hong Kong designers. I'm aiming to make a vlog later today about my thrifted and handmade haul, so look out for that!

Now I'm off to buy a big bottle of Yakult at 7/11 (if only this existed in Australia. It's my favourite drink in the entire world.)

Love love love,

Sunday, 18 January 2015

Hong Kong Botanical Gardens

Hello - can you guess where I am right now??

So I made it safely to Hong Kong! - after the most turbulent, terrifying plane trip I have ever taken ;__; I was so lucky to have my wonderful friend Leila sitting next to me the entire time, patiently holding my hand and reminding me to breathe. Anyway - I'm here! And as I just mentioned, I'm travelling with one of my best friends, Leila (who took these photos!). Leila actually is the person who is responsible for giving my blog its name! Without her, you wouldn't be reading the Pineneedle Collective. Fun fact - she named it after a pub trivia team she was in when we were 18. She also has an amazing, quirky style and if I can convince her, you will be seeing photos of her on here soon!

After spending two whole hours in the most amazing thrift store of all of Hong Kong (okay, so it's the only thrift store we have been in so far, but I think that it will be hard to beat!), we visited some really pretty botanical and zoological gardens and, armed with both digital and film SLRs, we took some photos!

The skirt that I am wearing was a find from the aforementioned thrift shop! I loved it so much that I had to wear it immediately.

In fact, I made about 8 amazing purchases from the thrift shop! It's one of the best hauls that I have ever made from any thrift/vintage shop. I will be posting all about it very soon.

Blouse - Thrifted | Skirt - Thrifted (Mee & Gee) | socks - old | shoes - Naot (Kedma's) | necklace and ring - c/o Eclectic Eccentricity

Today is a day for resting my sore feet. But as we are staying here for an entire month, I'm not too worried about missing out. There is so much that we are planning to do and see! I'm very excited to update you all on my travels!

Until next time,

Monday, 12 January 2015

Making my novelty phone handbag functional - mini Make Thrift Buy (episode #11.5)

I turned my novelty phone handbag into a functional phone. And then I got Katie to call me on it.

And we got pretty excited about it.

I hope you're all having a super day!

Sunday, 11 January 2015

A Handmade Outfit - DIY Icecream Dress & Camera Bag!

For my first outfit post of 2015, I wanted to show off some things that I've made in the last week. I've been sewing just for myself (without a video camera over my shoulder!) and it's been lovely - I needed to remind myself that I can sew just for the pleasure of sewing, without being under pressure to make something successfully while being watched by thousands of people on youtube (or failing that, to at least make my stuff-ups entertaining).

So these are two things that I've made - the first is this pink icecream print dress with a full skirt and detachable halter strap. The fabric was a Christmas gift, from Spotlight if anyone is interested in buying it. For the dress, I actually used a store-bought pattern for the top part (Simplicity 1426).

Demi from Carbon Chic showed me how to use patterns when she came to visit me in Sydney the other week, demonstrating that patterns actually weren't this scary, super-complicated thing that I would never understand. And then I made a playsuit which wasn't a total failure, and, feeling like I could conquer any sewing challenge, I then used the top pattern to make this dress! For the bottom part, I used my own trusty circle skirt pattern.

The second thing that I made is this camera bag:

Okay, well... so I actually technically started making this at the end of 2013. I bought the pattern and template for this bag from Happy Sew Lucky, started it off and then... let it sit under my desk for an entire year, taunting me. Because I had to use a pattern that someone else had made, I think that I got intimidated. However, finally learning how to use patterns and making this dress then gave me the confidence to finish off this bag!

My shoes are brand new. As the more observant of you may have noticed, I've pretty much been wearing one pair of shoes for a whole year - my Naot Kedma 's, which are now looking a little worse for wear. Unfortunately I had some slight sizing issues with the only other two ethical shoe companies that I could find, and what with shoes being one of the most difficult things to DIY (without access to a whole lot of industrial equipment), I caved, and bought some shoes off Asos. I feel uneasy having no idea where and by whom the shoes were manufactured, and whether they were paid a fair wage to make them - but it's really, really hard to shop ethically 100% of the time. This past year for instance, I've had to cave on bras and underwear too when my old pairs were literally falling off me (although I have just learnt how to make the latter for myself!) So this definitely isn't me giving up on my pledge of trying to shop ethically, but it is a note about just how difficult that can sometimes be.