Tine Wears: Favourite Outfits Of 2014

This year I made a lot of cake - wearable cake that is. My style has evolved from wearing fancy dresses and heels in school and university to more basic outfits since I moved to Hamburg. Nowadays I prefer flats, jeans, simple shirts and sweaters in winter.

I found several patterns this year that I made over and over again. But I guess, never change a winning team, right?

So, here are the most worn outfits of 2014.

I wanted some black flares for ages. Already in summer in drafted my own pattern, but didn't get around to sew as muslin. When I got denim for cheap in autumn, I made a muslin and the fit was nearly perfect on first try. I then made this black denim version and wear them a lot. I like how they flatter my body shape and make my legs longer and slimmer. I either wear them with a woven shirt like this one or with a woolen sweater.

I also made this pair of jeans at the beginning of the year. The pattern is also self-drafted and fits perfectly. I wear them a lot and unfortunately they are already quite washed out. I guess I need to make a new pair, if I get some new black denim. I wear these with absolutely everything, they are such a staple and it's so nice to be able to say "I made them". I'd recommend the Ginger jeans from Closet Case Files to anybody who is looking for a classic jeans pattern.

Something I made in about eight versions already is this basic skirt. It's from an old Burda and really easy to make. I actually used parts of the pattern to draft the jeans I made. I have this skirt in black denim, pink velvet, blue twill, silver twill, dotted IKEA fabric and a flower fabric. I've already cut two more versions in yellow corduroy and a woven fabric.

The shirt is my favourite as well. It's my copy of the Grainline Scout and I can't stop making it. I guess, I also have about five different versions of it.

This t-shirt with gathered raglan sleeves is one of my go-to patterns, if I need a new t-shirt. It's a quick sew on the overlocker and only the hem and sleeves have to be hemmed with a twin needle. I also have this in other colour combinations and with three quarter sleeves.

These are just examples on how I wear the different patterns. Which one do you like the best?

The Comfy Cardigan! Finally!

Yay, I made it. After more than a year in the make, I finished my cardigan a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunalety it is a bit too warm to wear now, but I think it will be great for long nights at the beach. The cardigan is so comfy and cuddly, the ideal thing to just wrap in and feel good. I have to admit though, I didn't finish it by  myself. My expert-knitter mom made the final touches like adding a button tab and shortening the sleeves, which were about 15 cm too long.
I finished the jacket by sewing on the wooden buttons.

I had to play a little bit with Gimp, because my room is a total mess right now. I'm currently in the final steps of my studies, which means I do an internship and go home and write something for my final thesis. The topic is really fun and has a lot to do with the things I love - sewing and fabrics. But somehow the time gets lost and I neglect the housework.
Anyway, here are some closeups of the buttons and the collar which is knitted in a 2x2 rib.

The yarn was a bargain buy from Woolworth, I think it cost me in total 25 € and I still have two or three balls left. I know that this jacket will be a jacket for my life. It was inspired by a cardigan that my mother made about 25 years ago, which became a favourite of mine and which she still wears on cold evenings. The shape hugs the body and the pockets are in just the right height to keep the hands warm. The pattern was taken from an old magazine, but I only took that as a guide and adjusted the number of rows and stitches according to my measurements.

My Handmade Year

I started this blog in Mai but in January I started an even bigger project. For the year 2011 I made the pledge to only buy second-hand clothing or make the items myself (excluding socks and underwear). Now we approach the end of the year and it's time to review how this project worked out.
I'm very satisfied because with just one exception I managed to live by the pledge. The only item I purchased which wasn't second-hand was this t-shirt.

 

But by buying this t-shirt I supported my favourite music festival, the Rheinkultur in Bonn. Because of all the donations and sales of their t-shirts they raised enough money to have the festival in 2011. Of course I wanted to support them as well, so I got the shirt. And of course I went to the festival and managed to be in the first row seeing Razorlight live. I could almost touch Johnny Borrell ! Definitely one of my favourite moments of 2011.

Unfortunalety the festival had to announce later this year that the debt couldn't be paid off and that there won't be another festival in 2012. That is a pity but since I won't live in the area next year anymore I'm not that bothered.

Coming back to my pledge. Mönchengladbach and Düsseldorf have a good variety of second-hand shops so it was not difficult to find things that I liked. Originally I wanted to decrease my spending on clothes and only purchase goods which I really needed, but often I couldn't pass the shop and not buy anything. This is something I definitely want to change next year. I haven't yet fully decided in which direction my resolution for 2012 will go, but consuming less and consuming more sensible are directions that I might choose.

My favourite purchases for the year have to be a pair of black leather boots ( from Oxfam for 7 € ),a grey sweater ( from Oxfam for 7,50€ ) and a pair of flares( from Goodwill in San Francisco, it reminds me of the holiday in the USA everytime I wear it ).

As you can see they are all quite basic and I really needed them in my wardrobe that consisted of a lot of items that were beautiful but difficult to combine. I have a simple navy A-line skirt in the making which will look great with the grey sweater and the boots. It will also be good to combine with my blouses.

My favourite handmade items of the year are my "shoe blouse", my mustard A-line skirt and my black maxi skirt. Anyway I love all the items that I made. I rarely produce UFOs, though there is a cut but never sewn item in my sewing studio. It is the pattern for a blouse and I only have half of the instructions and I'm too lazy to figure out how to start and put it together.

Only in the end of the year I started to plan what I needed in my wardrobe and form my own capsule collection. I often sew whatever garment comes into my mind and don't think about whether it can be combined to the things that I already own. Definitely something I want to change next year. In the next two weeks I will think about what I want to achieve in the next year and keep you updated on my plans.