SPOTLIGHT: Huli

Another fun feature we've been wanting to introduce around here is "Spotlight," a regular column featuring our very own contributors!


Huli is one of our earliest members at Refashion Co-op, and not only is she one of our most prolific contributors but she is also wildly creative and versatile. You may remember her striped shirt with lace sleeves refashion from the last challenge, but that's just the beginning!



Hi I'm Julianne aka Hulibug! I'm a 29 year old mama of two amazing boys aged 8 & 5 and we live in the beautiful little beach town of Papamoa in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.

As a family we love spending time at the beach, picnics at the playgrounds, bike rides and rollerskating. My boys are very creative and love to draw, create out of lego and make stuff too...I have started teaching my eldest to sew and he really enjoys it!

I have a passion for live music and love going to rock concerts! and this year I started training to play roller derby with our local league Mount Militia Derby Crew and it is wicked fun!

Hulibug is a nickname a friend gave me when I was about 14 and it stuck..all most closest friends call me Huli and I kinda prefer it to Julianne.

I think my refashioning experience started when I was 15 when my love of op-shopping really developed and I would find amazing retro dresses and remake them into skirts or bell bottoms! I never wanted to look just like anyone else so for me shopping 2nd hand & making my own clothes was a simple way to ensure that wouldn't happen!

When I 1st discovered "Wardrobe Refashion" in 2009 I was so excited to find somewhere that like minded individuals were sharing their creativity. I followed the blog for awhile before signing up....I had never taken photos of my refashions so it was a little strange at 1st but then I got more comfortable with the idea & signed up!

I never shop in "regular shops" anymore for clothing (I make an exception for underwear, socks & shoes but still thrift them too!). Even fabric, patterns & notions I find in op-shops (then add to my ever evolving stash!).

My inspiration comes from the world around me, my latest interests, old magazine editorials, fashion/refashion/DIY blogs, street style blogs and whatever mood I happen to be in at the time I start cutting into something!

Alot of the time I have no clear design in mind and I just sew as I go!

I do have a few things I've made that I've used/worn to death though like my old camo pants to bag refashion, refashioned studded sandals, my beloved sheet pants (pyjama pants made from retro sheets I've made myself at least 8 pairs since I was 14 and a few for friends too!), my purple suede roller skate toe snouts and my latest faze of bleached jeans & slashed back tops.

Sometimes I find just the smallest alterations can make the biggest difference to an unworn garment...like sewing belt loops onto an old shapeless cardigan so now I thread a scarf through the back, tie it in a bow and I wear it all the time!

I always just have fun with whatever I'm making and let my own personal style lead the way...and I know without a doubt I will continue to refashion my wardrobe as long as I can sew!

Many thanks to Huli for sharing a little bit about herself with us. I love her personal style!

Stay tuned for more ...