My pledge for MMM this year is to wear designers from different regions each week. First up is Canadian patterns, then European, Australian/New Zealand, and finally American.
I’m proud to say that my home country didn’t let me down on this long first week! We’ve got great pattern designers in Canada, who I think particularly excel in the kind of everyday clothes I like to wear. Between Jalie, Sewaholic, Thread Theory, and Closet Case Files and Ohhh Lulu, I think every basic for men and women is covered!
Enough preamble – here are the clothes!
I wore:
- 4 pairs of Closet Case Files Ginger Jeans (I’ve got a 5th pair I didn’t wear, and I repeated others instead, because they fit the outfits better)
- 1 dress with a CCF Nettie bodice
- 3 Sewaholic Renfrew mods, none of which are recognisably Renfrews)
- 1 Jalie hoodie (I also sewed another one this week, but it got too hot to wear it!)
- 3 Jalie raglans
- 1 In-House Patterns kimono tee (I it made this week, and I’ll blog about it soon. I’m NOT in love.)
- Ohhh Lulu undies almost every day!
**I’m not going to link to posts about each item, but if you search the pattern name in the search bar to the left, you should find things easily!**
The good news is that I have many more versions of these same patterns that I didn’t get around to wearing. It was nice to have lots of choice in the morning, and not to HAVE to wear a certain thing if I didn’t feel like it! On the other hand, it was a lot of jeans and raglans, and I’m ready for a few more dresses next week since the weather suddenly turned hot!
Other thoughts: Although it wasn’t part of my pledge, I wanted to try at least one new-to-me Canadian designer. The pattern didn’t end up working out as I wished, but it’s always good to try something new, right? I don’t own any Thread Theory patterns, so I couldn’t represent them. I do like the look of the Camas blouse though! And even though I only wore one Sewaholic pattern, I’ve sewn and loved at least 5 or 6. Too bad they don’t fit well right now!
Next week I’m wearing European designers, so expect a lot of Maria of Denmark, Kitschy Koo, and Deer and Doe. If the weather is cool enough, I’ll throw in some Paprika Patterns. Those are the only European/British designers I have in my wardrobe right now, but can anyone suggest a new-to-me designer/pattern I could sew if I have time? Something in knits, preferably hot-weather appropriate! (But don’t worry, I’ve been dared to sew with a woven, so I’ll be sewing some rayon challis soon just to prove I remember how!)
Crafting A Rainbow 
Lovely first week! Yay Canadians : ) I, too, love to sew knits, so I enjoy seeing what you’ve made.
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Go Team Canada! Do you have a blog? I’d like to see what you make! Sounds like we might have similar style. 🙂
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Not yet. My full time job keeps me busy, but perhaps in the future I will.
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I’m sewing a pair of Burda jeans right now, so I’ll suggest Burda as a European pattern maker. If you don’t want to mess with adding seam allowances, the envelope patterns have them already added (in North America, at least).
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Burda never crossed my mind! That’s a good suggestion – I’m more likely to go with a pdf, I think. Can you suggest any simple tops? Or should I just go dig through the website and not be lazy? 😛
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Lekala is Russian, which isn’t European but is nearby. Do a search under knit. (Did I just notice you’re not planning an Asian week?) Does Burda count?
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I’d accept Russia as European! I’ve tried 1 of their patterns for Anne, and bought another for my Mom… I didn’t love the one, but I think it was the fabrics fault, perhaps? Good suggestion! (And yeah, no Asian week, because even thought I’ve done the rounds there, I’ve never sewn an Asian pattern!
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Officially Europe’s east border is the Uralian mountains so the western part of Russia belongs to Europe, the eastern part (Siberia) to Asia. I’ve tried a couple of Lekala patterns, some more successfukky than others. There is some problems with bigger bust sizes, they tend to grow the front neckline as well and thus create gaping.
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Excellent! Thank you for the geography lesson – I’m glad I can count Lekala in my European options! And thanks for the tip about larger bust sizes, too!
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Someone posted a cool version of this easy t-shirt by Aime Comme Marie on the Flickr MMM group. I had never seen the designer. aimecommemarie.bigcartel.com/product/aime-comme-minute
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I’ve never heard of them either, but I’m going to go poke around now. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Love your take on MMM! For European designers I like Pauline Alice and Republique du Chiffon. I bet some of Pauline Alice’s dress patterns could be done in knits!
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Those are good suggestions! I think of them both as “too classy” for me – I’m SO not chic! But that’s just silly prejudice on my half… I’m going to go take another look!
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Wow – Canada representin’. I don’t know how you could possibly have this much choice in the other weeks – but I’m sure you’ll sort it out 🙂
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Never underestimate the volume of clothes in my closet! I think American week might be the hardest – but if I had enough Mission Maxis to wear every day last year for a week, then at least I’ll be clothed every day! 😛
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You look so cute!! We are lucky to have such great designers in Canada!
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We really do have great local indies! I couldn’t think of anyone from the East Coast though – can you?
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I did forget about Victory Patterns though – silly since she’s the only Canadian designer I’ve actually met! I’m not about to wear a Lola in this summer0like weather though!
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For British designers maybe Tilly & the Buttons, By Hand London, Marilla Walker, Fair Trade, Merchant & Mills, or Capital Chic.
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Those are all good options! I could dust off the BHL Anna, since I already own it (I made one for my sister.)
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Lovely stuff and I like all your florals. I am going to second Burda for European as they have an enormous range of patterns and the fit of them is very good. The pattern drafting is always spot on but if you are using a pattern from the magazine I would just probably ignore in the most part the instructions as they can be a bit confusing. xx
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I”m really tempted by the idea of Burda, but when i looked through the website last night I found it hard to find a pattern I like. All the photographs are so baggy and it’s hard to see the style lines! I think I’ll have to take another look. DO you have any patterns you’ve tried and liked?
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I think you’ll like Ottobre Woman, a pattern magazine from Finland with lots of knits patterns. Or the pdf patterns of Knipmode, on their Dutch website Knipmode.nl. Drop me a mail if you need help, as the website is in Dutch.
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Ooh, thanks for the offer! Does Ottobre sell individual pdf patterns, or would I have to order a magazine? I’ll go take a look at Knipmode – I’ve heard good things about them!
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I don’t think Ottobre offers pdf patterns. Hope the magazine is available in Canada!
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What a great idea to go geographic for MMM. Canada seems especially blessed with good pattern designers. On behalf of the rest of the sew-lovin’ world, I salute you!!
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Brits aren’t doing so badly yourselves! 😉
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Fun first week. I love the print Gingers! Jalie has a hoodie?! I must sprint to PR now.
I’d put in a vote for Burda and also Ottobre for Euro patterns. Burda always has such great fashion forward details in all of their stuff and Ottobre’s basics + style makes for a lot of creative possibilities. I love too that both of their drafting is really really consistent…very little room for guessing on your part.
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The Jalie hoodie came out last year! It’s a good’un – pretty classic in shape, a little boxy, but just enough that it’s really cosy.
Burda and Ottobre are getting lots of votes! Now I just need to fin time to choose a pattern and actually sew!
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What a great and wonderful concept. I like it.
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I love MMM! I’m so glad So Zo’ is still running it every year.
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A great idea to go continent by continent! And great you’ve the variety to actually DO it, lol! I love that wrap top (2nd from left, top row) who is the pattern by? I’d love to sew it…that’s my style!
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You know, that top was made last summer and hadn’t been worn once – but I put some top stitching on and now I like it! 🙂 That shirt and the dress next to it are modified Renfrews, but you could hack it from any snug tee pattern. Here are some posts about how I did it:
https://craftingarainbow.wordpress.com/2014/09/08/lazy-tips-for-sewing-knits-anatomy-of-a-faux-wrap-dress/
https://craftingarainbow.wordpress.com/2014/08/23/a-tale-of-two-tops/
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What a nice twist to Me Made May…. And my home country gets to go first! Nice Job!
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Are you Canadian too? Whereabouts are you? I’m in Guelph, Ontario. 🙂
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Ah… Victoria BC is the closest city. I work there and live out in the sticks! I haven’t actually been to Guelph. Toronto, St. Catharines, Niagra Falls… Yes.
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Hehe – and I’ve I’ve never been to BC! I’ve lived on 5 continents, but never been west of Ontario. One day I’ll fix that! 🙂
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Love your Canadian theme this week — I just finished my first Cambie; if I was doing this theme I’d have had to wear it every day 😉 I’m shocked that I don’t have more of our own indie designers in my line-up. Will have to remedy that.
I’ve been going through my closet trying to wear some of the items that I don’t usually pull out — wearing those poor neglected outfits 🙂
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Ooh, Cambie is a great pattern! Are you happy with how yours turned out? HOpe it gets lots of wear this month, along with your older neglected outfits! 🙂
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What a neat modification to MMM! And GO CANADA!!! You’re right, we do have some amazing Canadian sewing pattern companies. Thanks for highlighting them! I can’t wait to see you’re other country-specific makes!
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What a fun week! Your outfits are all so cute!!!!!
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Such a wonderful first week. Canada represent! Haha. Love your Renfrew mods. It’s so versatile
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Thank you! Renfrew is such a classic pattern – there are lots of trendier patterns, but it’s nice to have a standard t-shirt in the collection too! 🙂
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What is the “ccf nettie bodice dress”? I’ve been searching pinterest for dresses baby can have nursing access in. Is the dress a cross-over wrap top? I saw you posted a how to make a wrap top tutorial (the one you have pictured for this week is really nice), but if I were to do it on a dress, which dress would you recommend as a base? I need nursing-access summer dresses. Please save me from having to buy (gasp in horror) *shorts* xox
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Closet Case Files Nettie – which is a body suit pattern, aka the worst for you! 😉 the wrap dress is actually the same pattern I adapted to make you that cropped wrap top, so of the fit of that works I could trace you a copy?
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Lovely outfits! Love the idea of going by continent. I wonder if an unspotted trend will emerge? 🙂 And I really like your cheery background.
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Thanks- I didn’t know that these designers are all Canadian!
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