What's up beautiful people? It is your homegirl Ms. Shameless,
all up in your building.
And I'm giving you a "haulternative,"
which is an alternative to a standard YouTube haul.
But this time I have teamed up with Fashion Revolution,
which is an awesome charity organization
bringing about awareness and social responsibility,
and wanted me to team up with them.
Who made this? And where did it come from?
Because we're all so busy being cute and fierce,
but a lot of us, me, I'm sure you guys
are asking questions about
how your clothes are made and who made it,
and how does this impact to the globe?
So this top I made,
and it was featured in my Nola Look Book, last summer.
And I said I would make a video,
it eventually happened, so here it is.
OK, facts, tidbits, things to know to empower you.
So, in 2013 the U.S. alone
created 13.1 million tons of textile,
and textile is basically the fabric used to make clothing.
And 11 million tons ended up in a landfill.
That's ridiculous, OK.
Another fact, pesticides, fertilizer,
and water is used in the production of textiles,
and that is the number one most polluting industry in the world.
But alas there is a resolution, there is a revolution,
and it's all about being conscious
and making little steps so all of us collectively
make a huge impact.
I feel like thrifting and DIYs are one of the most resourceful
and creative ways to make use of your pre-loved clothing.
So this was in fact this skirt, that I'm wearing here.
So this is a high-waisted denim skirt.
So I'm going to break it down for you.
All you need is a sewing machine, thread, and scissors.
If you don't have a sewing machine,
you can now spend some time with your mom or your grandma,
and get to bonding, OK. Let's get started.
This is the piece pièce de résistance.
I will be transforming this high-waisted skirt
into this top right here.
Now you just need something to make a pattern,
or measuring tape.
So I used my bikini top,
and I'm just cutting across to make the bra section,
and then the zipper we're going to be using
for the side of the shirt.
Now in my original piece it was on the back,
but because we are starting with a different starting point,
we're going to use the zipper.
When cutting the skirt you want to maximize all the fabric,
and I'm cutting the bottom inch and a half section for straps,
so those two long pieces on the left are straps,
the two middle pieces are for the bustier area,
the zipper is going to be used on the side,
and that's small little part is going to be used in the middle
to give it that heart shape, like so, you see?
And so this is just like a rough overview
of what it's going to look like.
So the first thing I'm going to do
is sew the zipper onto the side.
Now this zipper is ending up on my
left side of my body,
but if I had the chance to do it all over again
I would put the zipper on the right side of the top.
So when you're doing it,
always refer back to the mirror, just to play and fiddle.
You're going to take the two pieces of fabric,
and have the outsides facing one another,
lining up the edges, and then sewing the two together.
So I'm sewing inside out,
because you don't want to see the seams.
Before you sew anything,
you just want to make sure once you cut all the fabric
that it fits you, you have to constantly measure
with either a measuring tape,
or a top that fits you the same way that this would fit you,
to make sure it all fits.
It's going to be sewn completely together,
so it's going to look like one big circle sewn together.
It's a big tube top.
Oh, and see I didn't secure the zipper,
you want to secure the zipper.
Now I suggest,
if you have access to pliers, using a paperclip,
and you're just going to knot off the top.
This is complete thrift DIY, OK.
The paperclip that is going to be used on the end
is going to prevent the zipper from flying off.
Now you'll be doing it as exact stitch
along the edges where you cut.
So that includes the two pieces front and back,
along with the straps.
And that's going to prevent the fabric from fraying.
Once it's all finished,
you're going to clean it up with scissors,
and it will stop fraying.
And then next I'm going to work on
the piece that goes in the middle.
Now again, it's inside out,
so I'm flipping it inside out, and sewing the seams together,
and then I will turn it right side out,
and of course my camera stopped recording,
but what you're going to do is flip it right side out,
and then wrap it around the middle fabric,
and then sew the two ends together,
and since the ends will be facing your chest
nobody is going to see it.
And it's constantly trying it on,
check myself out in the mirror,
tweak it, see what needs to happen,
and do some markings,
like for the straps I'm just going to place them
where I think they should be,
and I'm going to look at the mirror and do that.
I'm just going to use this kind of fabric chalk
to mark it off.
And again, before you sew the straps on
make sure you measure,
and you can use straps on a top that fit you properly,
or you can measure yourself,
so measure where it's going to start,
and where it's going to end.
You sew it on, try it on,
and if it's too loose you want to adjust it and add more.
Again, it's always best to measure first.
And I do a reverse back and forth
when I start and I stop stitching,
because I don't want the pieces to somehow come apart.
So going back and forth with the sewing machine
will prevent that from happening.
And now for the reveal.
Look at that! Super cute, super simple.
And what's awesome about these tops,
especially in the summer time,
they're just like little pieces of fabric. [laughs]
So the summer time is the perfect time to do DIY projects.
OK, so what can you do?
How can you be a part of the revolution?
So Fashion Revolution would love for you to take a photo
of you in your favorite outfit, with your favorite brands,
and @ them on Twitter or Instagram,
and use the hash-tag, #whomademyclothes.
So that way they can start being aware of,
wait a minute people are catching on
that we're making trillions of dollars,
and we need to make some changes in this place.
So, yeah, take a selfie, a OTD hash tag,
and at me so I can see your cute outfit.
OK, that's it for me, remember to do you,
be you, and stay true.
Be shameless, boo.
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