The Pineneedle Collective

Wednesday 21 October 2015

I am declaring myself the thrifting queen...

...because I obtained this Pin Up Girl Clothing dress secondhand for $5. In exactly my size. This is the original that retails for $108.

There's a lot to be said for jumping off your bus in the middle of nowhere in a sleazy neighbourhood because you spotted some very hungover young adults in a sharehouse throwing a yard sale. That's exactly how I obtained this dress. I also got a cute polkadot skirt for $1 - which sadly didn't fit, but I regifted to my friend!

That's all. To be honest I'm just popping in here today to gloat. ;)

(Also in case you were wondering, the shoes are from a shop that no longer exists.)

Hope you're all having a lovely October 21st (AKA BACK TO THE FUTURE DAY OMG).

Saturday 17 October 2015

DIY Bat Wing Hooded Shirt | Make Thrift Buy #26 - Halloween Edition!

Hello everybody, and I hope you're all having the spoopiest of Octobers! ;)

I'll let you in on a secret - occasionally, when I embark on some of these projects in the Make Thrift Buy series, I don't actually think I'll end up wearing what I create. And it was the same with this project. When I was planning to make this hoodie, I thought that there would be no way I'd actually wear it out and about.

Ha. I pretty much haven't taken it off since I completed it 2 days ago. It's SO comfy, and SO cute, and *just* weird enough that I've fallen completely in love with it, but not weird enough to make me scared to leave the house wearing it! I think I'm actually going to wear this year-round (well, in the colder months, at the very least!)

Here's the video! I hope you enjoy it :)

Love,

Saturday 10 October 2015

How To: Lace Bralettes!

I FINALLY DID IT!! ٩( ᐛ )و

I made a bralette pattern, which (I really REALLY hope) is fairly universal!
[Update: A couple of people of all different sizes have been sending in photos of their finished bralettes, saying that it fits really well and it's totally comfy, so yay!]
I have been searching and searching the internet for a decent bralette tutorial or pattern, but every single tutorial that I found just came with pre-made patterns.

One of the reasons that I don't like pre-made patterns is because every human body doesn't actually fit into 3 or 4 neat sizes. I know I could spend a lot of time altering the patterns so that they fit me, but I wanted something that would fit me *perfectly*, and also a pattern that's simple to alter when my measurements change - as my weight fluctuates extremely easily right now (thnx prednisone).

Anyway, the basic bralette that I made worked out so well that I even did some fancy extra things like adding lining, and adding extra elastic to turn it into a caged bralette.

I also forced Katie to let me make her a bralette (...she didn't exactly complain), so that I could test my pattern out on a different sized body, and increase my sample size for the pattern to 2. The only thing I did wrong here, as you can see, was that the caged elastic straps are too tight - so don't do that, if you're making your own!

Anyway, I really hope that this helps all of YOU, lovely internet people, to make your very own bralettes. Please let me know if you have some success with this pattern (or even failures!)

I've made 5 of these now and once you have a pattern drawn up (which takes around an hour), they only take about 1.5 hours to make, so it becomes a really quick and easy project. They're absolutely perfect for lounging around the house in, but supportive enough (if you've got a fairly small-sized chest like me) to wear out as well!

SO without further ado, here's the video tutorial:

I hope you're all doing well!

Monday 28 September 2015

DIY Light Up Shoes | Make Thrift Buy #25

I'm so ludicrously excited about this project. Whenever I see kids wearing light up shoes I want to steal them. But that would be evil and creepy so I don't. But I DO get very jealous and want a pair in my own size! So, that's what I'm trying to do today.

I hope you enjoy the video!

Monday 21 September 2015

Duplicate Your Dress - How To Turn One Dress Into Two!

I really, really like the style of this vintage polka dot dress that I bought from Ebay a couple of weeks ago. So I thought that I'd try to "reverse-engineer" the pattern and make myself the same dress in multiple different fabrics! It worked out pretty well!

Check out the video below, for tips and tricks on duplicating your own dresses (or tops, I guess! That would also probably work.)

p.s. The dress I’m to recreating is quite free-fitting and pretty simply made (and doesn't have separate sleeves which made my life a LOT easier, haha) - this method would be a bit harder if the dress was super fitted or had darts, so if you’re going to try this out, for the first time I suggest you try and copy a fairly loose-fitting item of clothing.

I hope that you're all having a lovely day,

Friday 18 September 2015

Nothing Can Stop Me From Dressing Up Cute | Magazine Feature!

The story behind this outfit: I felt damn cute, so pictures were had. All that I did on the day I took these pictures was to visit the doctor, so it wasn't like I was dressed up for any particular reason. But I think it's really important to do that sometimes, especially when you've been having a really tough time - well, it works for me, anyway! Dressing up in a style that's really "me" after days of oily hair, sweatpants and laying in bed watching "If You Are The One" gives me back some sense of normalcy and control.

I've realised just now that all my "tips" for dealing with a chronic illness have been to "do crafts and look cute", which now sounds a little bit silly and superficial and obviously won't work for everyone. But it all falls underneath the broader category of LOOK AFTER YO' SELF, which I think can apply to anybody struggling with ANY tough time! Prioritize the things that make you happy, if you can, first and foremost!

Outfit details:

Dress - Thrifted

Cardigan - Dangerfield

Brooch - Deer Arrow

Bag - Vintage

Socks - Kmart

Shoes - Naot (style: Kedma)

Also also also - you guys!! I did a whole one-page interview with the real-life Sew Magazine in their September issue! Now this magazine is sold in the UK, if you live there and wanna check it out (and/or send me a copy?? Hahaha).

It actually looks like I really cool magazine for craft tips and ideas - I wish I could buy it in Australia!!

I hope you've all been doing well! As for me, I'm even going to try and make a video today of something that many of you have been requesting ;) So check back soon!

Tuesday 8 September 2015

Pink Polka Dot Dress | Fashion, Meet Technology

I felt pretty cute the other day in my new ebay-bought vintage dress (seriously, sometimes late-night ebay purchases are the best). It's going to be so good for summer! I am not usually a fan of drop-waists, but in this case, it works so well - I think because it's offset by the super large sailor collar! I got it from AHKA vintage, which is a really good little ebay store - all their vintage is really lovely and also decently priced! (Not a sponsor - they just made a good impression.)

When I was going through the questions for my last Q&A video, somebody mentioned that they were missing my science posts on my blog! Me too, guys. With my health being what it's been recently (not great) and my Youtube channel taking off, plus trying to keep up at university - I just haven't had the time! But, for those of you who were missing my science posts, I have something very exciting to announce: I started writing for a science magazine! The magazine is called Lateral and it's run by an awesome group of Australian science students, scientists and science enthusiasts alike. I'm so excited to be a part of the team!

My article is all about the world of wearable technology and how it's integrating with fashion... or not.

Image source - Flickr

Anyway, you can read my article here! It's a little bit longer than the science posts on my blog used to be, but I hope you'll still enjoy it :)

As for my outfit:

Outfit details:

Dress - AHKA Vintage

Brooch - Bok Bok B'Gerk

Socks - Kmart

Shoes - NAOT (Kedma)

Hope you're all doing well! Love,

Friday 4 September 2015

DIY Pinafore - With Adjustable Straps!

Remember my pinafore dress from the other day? Well, here's the tutorial for it!

P.s. I was a silly-head and totally forgot to put the last step into the tutorial (must have been too keen to show off the final results!)

SO:

When you reach 5:28 in the video, you're not done just yet - you need to sew the end of the strap back down onto the strap. This will stop the whole thing from coming loose!!

Like this:

Basically, loop the strap back over the slider, and sew it down onto the strap (the one that's at the back), using a straight stitch.

Cool cool cool! I hope you're all having a lovely day,

Tuesday 1 September 2015

Q & A and a Giveaway

Thanks for asking me questions on instagram, twitter and facebook, so I could make this video! (And I had soooo many questions - like, over 100 - so I'm really sorry if I didn't get to yours!)

In this video I show you my wardrobe, talk about dealing with a chronic illness, do a marshmallow challenge, give details about a giveaway - and more!

Thursday 27 August 2015

Head-To-Toe Florals & A Handmade Pinafore

Just popping in today with a really quick outfit post, because I've missed doing these regularly! Hopefully I can do outfit posts a bit more often now that I have a nice backdrop to pose in front of.

SO basically, I am super dooooooper proud of this pinafore that I made. It's probably the most professional-looking thing I've ever created - seriously, I can't stop looking down at my neat top-stitching and seams and feeling super proud of myself. Check it out:

As for the rest of my clothes: my shirt is thrifted, my tights are suuuper old - can't remember where they're from - and my shoes are from Naot. Also, the pinafore is made out of a thrifted bedsheet and thrifted buttons! p.s. It's National Op Shop week in Australia right now, so there's never been a better excuse to go visit your local thrift shop. Even if you don't live in Australia, you're allowed to celebrate it too ;) Not only are you saving clothes from landfill, this is where your money goes when you buy from an op shop.

Have a lovely day,

Sunday 23 August 2015

Floral Fifties | Sewing Room Update!

Hello blog! So although I moved in to my new place more than a month ago, I've still only got about half of the studio organised. However, it's starting to look pretty cute, so I thought it was time for some progress photos. One wall still has a couple of unpacked boxes and piles of fabric sitting up against it, so we'll just ignore that wall for this little tour.

Let's begin over on this wall - my workspace! I managed to fit two desks here - the one on the left is for sewing, and the one of the right is for blogging/video-editing/doing uni work! There's also a smattering of art from some of my favourite artists on the wall - Lauren Carney, Mel Stringer, Hungry Designs, Ahcahcum Muchacha and Miss Nikki all make an appearance. I still have a lot more art to put up, although I think I might leave this wall as it is!


My two babies ;__;

But this is probably my favourite part of the sewing room for its sheer colourfulness.

Now that I finally have a space of my own, I can display all my kitschy knickknacks, handmade bits and pieces, and my growing collection of Adventure Time memorabilia and fan art, without having to worry that I'm oppressing my housemates with my obnoxious choice of home decor.

Like these chattering teeth, that were a moving-in gift to myself. Perusing Ebay late at night can sometimes be very dangerous. But I have no regrets with this one!

Finally, somewhere to store my vast collection of Japanese magazines! These are Zipper & Cutie magazines from 2014-2015, plus a print by Mel Stringer.

A Wishcandy canvas bag is featured at the back of this cube, and there's a print by Tori Rose Wright in the foreground. The ice cream and the bunny are both kid's nightlamps (and yes, they light up), and the three foxes at the front are pencil sharpeners.

But this thing actually does serve a more important function: it also stores all of my crafting stuff, and half of my fabric!

Organising all my craft stuff was a big goal of this studio space. In my previous house, things were just thrown into random drawers, buttons chucked underneath desks, fabric stuffed into bookcases - and it was all impossible to use.

So to organise all my craft stuff neatly, I was inspired to make these dividers for the drawers of this storage cube. To make these, I simply measured each drawer, then cut strips of cardboard from the millions of boxes I accumulated while moving house, wrapped it in polka-dot wrapping paper, stuck them in with some tape, and there you have it! DIY drawer dividers!

Now I can separate out my buttons and threads from my elastics and glues! It makes crafting SO much easier when I can actually find the things I need. If you have a craft space that's all over the place - get it organised, because it's so worth it. Even if you only have a corner of a room for crafting, invest in some good storage shelves or lots of adhesive hooks (if you're in a rental like me), and stick all your stuff to the wall.

I'm still trying to figure out a better way to store my fabrics (rather than just throwing them in the bottom of the cubes). If you have any ideas, where I can both store my fabric neatly AND still be able to see it, please share them with me!

Now, if you'll allow me, I need to spend a minute talking about this gorgeous dress!

When I buy clothes, there's a couple important things I look out for:

1. Is it ethically made?

2. Do the models on the website/in the shop represent a diversity of both body types and ethnicities?

3. And, will this piece of clothing require me to iron it every time I wear it?

I'm happy to report that Karina Dresses pass all three criteria. They're made in Brooklyn and Massachusetts, the workers being paid a living wage and the fabric ethically-sourced from LA; they're one of the most impressive companies for representing diversity that I've ever seen; and lastly, you never ever have to iron these dresses - they're totally crease-proof. Which makes me happy, because ironing is way too much effort and I basically end up abandoning skirts and dresses that have to be ironed every time they're worn. This dress is also perfect for taking traveling, because it won't get crushed in a suitcase.

In addition to all that good stuff, they're made with these pretty vintage-style silhouettes and fabrics. The style that I'm wearing, the "Kate" dress, has a late 50s/early 60s silhouette and fit - which is one of my absolute favourite styles for dresses! And I can never go past a good floral print.