arrrggghhhhh falling!

No, not really, but I like that my driveway can look like a bottomless abyss with the simple flip of a picture!

Taken after a dinner outing on Saturday night, after a gruelling morning volunteering on the MTC relocation sale, which was complete and utter mayhem. If you got there early I commend you and hope you scored some great stuff. If you were late, you were probably dissappointed.

I'll detail the stuff I managed to nab once I get it back from my MTC contact's car...

Wearing:

black top - hollywood bandeau (or something to that effect) from sportsgirl

shiny shiny sunray pleated gold skirt, its first outing! - vintage, op shop

belt/necklace - old

shoes - gail sorronda for target, via my housemate, via her friend. everyone seems to think they're hideous but i think they're cute. and comfortable!

and although you can't really tell in this picture i have the great vintage black and gold clutch that i won from Bijou Living

rmit 4th yr exhibition

The super awesome graduating RMIT fashion 4th years have an exhibition on tomorrow night and Friday, I implore you to go check it out as there will be some truly incredible work.

outfit

Oh Thank God it's finally been slightly less than too-damn-hot here, which has been a huge relief to both my sanity and my garden.

Although I have finished uni for the year I'm nearly as busy, sorting out housey things (gaining more and more respect for my parents as I deal with flooring companies, unclog drains, de-weevil pantries and try to stop my flowers from dying!) and working on an exciting project that I'll reveal in due course!  Well.  I think it's exciting, anyway.  We'll see.

I've taken to wearing my hair up on one side and flat on the other, mainly because I don't know what the hell to do with my fringe!  I think I'm trying to grow it, but gosh darn I hate the in-between stage...

Wearing:

t - AA

skirt - retro

belt - made from a necklace and rope

shoes - melissa

This hairy mongrel is living with me now! (along with his owner, my boyfriend).  His claws go tap-tap on the floorboards all day and he sheds vast quantities of fur, but he's so sweet you can't blame him.

tailoring

gpo outfit

Well! I'm back, apologies for major absence, uni had been killing my life for the past week but is now over for the year. I've handed in my jackets, my folios, my Gerber assignments and my textiles projects, and now I might actually have time to make some things for myself!

This is what I wore for my panel assessment, which is conveniently the whole outfit I bought with my GPO voucher. I've been getting heaps of wear out of the dress especially, and have decided yellow is my new favourite Summer colour this year, so thankyou GPO for some fantastic pieces, and of course Lady Melbourne for helping me pick them out.

dress - Be A Good Girl from fat

tshirt - Metalicus

shoes - Vivienne Westwood x melissa from fat

springtime

Every time I say "springtime" I want to sing the song from The Producers ("Springtime!  For Hitler, and Ger-ma-neeeey!"), but it tends to be a bit inappropriate.  For anyone who hasn't seen it, the old version with Gene Wilder kicks arse over the new one. ("I'm wet! I'm wet and I'm still hysterical!" Hahaaaa)

This is my new favourite summer dress - bought for a steal from myl Designer Clearance in the Walk arcade, off Bourke St, due to it having a broken zip that I replaced in about 3 seconds.  It's by NicholasxMorley, and the floral print is actually little pills and bats - crazy! But very cute.  Bit hard to tell underneath my Dad's old exploration shirt, but it has a sweetheart neckline and is a very flattering cut. 

The tree outside my house is in bloom!  Lovely.

dress - nicholasxmorley

stockings - customised

shoes - melissa

shirt - pinched from dad

flower - diva

postal service

I love when exciting parcels arrive in my letterbox - most recently was a gorgeous vintage bag I won from Bijou Living.  Thanks Stacy!

My Mum also sent me these sunglasses, which belonged to my late Grandma, recently unearthed by my cousin.  I'm not sure of their age, but they're at least a bit old.  I really enjoy wearing things that I know have a history.  Thanks family!

AND my final piece from the GPO shopping adventure arrived (a bright yellow metallicus tshirt - their computers were down on the day so I had to get it sent out), so I'll take a picture with the whole outfit.

Worn with:

skirt - zimmermann

tshirt - customised

brooch - country antique store

belt - off a retro dress

and I added a strap to the bag

how-to diy

A few people were interested in how to make the Alannah-Hill-style flower headbands I posted earlier, so I have attempted some instructions with visual aids (please look past the poor quality of the photos, they're purely explanatory!).

What you need:

-Fabric. I've tried it with silk, polyester lining and chiffon. I see no reason why you couldn't do it with anything but the end result will vary depending on the drape of the fabric you choose.

-Matching felt and satin bias binding tape

-Plastic headband. I got this at Lincraft for under $1.

-Needle and thread, to match the felt

-Fabric glue

-Some kind of cutting implement. I used a rotary cutter but only because I left my scissors at uni.

Step 1: Fold fabric up in a concertina. This is so you can cut out lots of petals at a time. You COULD do them one by one if you were extremely fussy but you'd be there all week.

Step 2: Cut out lots of circles. They don't have to be perfect, or even all the same size.

Step 3: Cut 2 of the same shape out of the felt to form the base. I used a kind of squashed almond shape, but you could do a circle if you wanted a smaller flower.

Step 4: Sew the circles onto one of the felt pieces, creating shape by folding them in quarters or thirds and putting the needle through the fold.

Step 5: Keep sewing! Try to space them out evenly so you don't get dense bits and sparse bits.

Step 6: Put fabric glue on the headband and wrap the bias binding diagonally around it. At the ends I just fold in under and stick the excess down but if anyone comes up with a better way let me know!

Step 7: Glue the plain felt piece on the underside of the headband then stick the covered piece on top to match it.

Finished! I hope this makes sense, if anything requires further explanation please tell me and I'll try to help. I'd love to see pictures if anyone attempts it!

outfit

Just finished my second and last exam (computer pattern drafting, ughhhhhhh disasterous!), now I have to make various toiles of experimental tailored jackets before my panel assessment in just over a week.  Roll on holidays.

wearing:

top - AA, customised

dress - episode

shoes - melissa

top - savers

wrist - trims from lincraft

re-peat

I don't usually like repeating outfits, but sometimes situations (and laziness) allow it (only if I'm not going to be seeing the same people, of course!).  I try to make at least minor changes to how I'm wearing the main pieces - in this instance a bustier bra I made pinned onto a pleated skirt, plus plum coloured tights and black flats - or I get bored.

Worn for the second time visting the NGV, with:

fur jacket - vintage, a present

bag - retro

skirt (underneath) - op shop

Worn the first time, working the door at my friend's club, with:

dress (french maid style - the white collar is tucked in!) - op shop

The NGV Ian Potter centre currently has a fantastic fashion exhibition entitled "together Alone" showcasing independent Australian and New Zealand designers.  I was thoroughly impressed by the curation - there are thoughtful, significant pieces from each label.  Designers from Australia are Akira, Romance was Born, MaterialByProduct and Toni Maticevski and from New Zealand there is World, Nom*D, Zambesi and Doris de Pont.  It's on until April next year and it's free, so go see it!

World

MaterialByProduct

Toni Maticevski

Images from the NGV website