THE SWEET SIDE OF MONTREAL

Here’s a look at some of the best pastry shops in Montreal as satisfying a sweet tooth is pretty much a requirement in this Francophone city.

The buzz surrounding Montreal’s solid food scene is not unfounded. From savory dishes of poutine smothered with thick gravy and cheese curds, to perfectly balanced, delicately sweetened Montrealer bagels to of course, the abundance of foie gras, the silky duck liver pate found on almost every menu in the city.

But what about Montreal’s delectable selection of pastries and desserts? Surely one can’t imagine a Francophone city without thinking of the gourmet confections that adorn the windows of the local patisseries or the aroma that wafts through any Parisian street.  So, what must one do to satiate the desire for a dreamy flaky croissant or a cream-filled profiterole whilst living on the opposite side of the Atlantic? That person heads to Montreal, where pastries and sweet treats abound, often in the most unassuming of places.

My morning commute would be a much less stressful ritual if I started my workday by grabbing a double-stuffed profiterole on the way to the train. I discovered Patisserie St-Louis de France on my way to the Sherbrook Metro in the Plateau section of Mont-Royal.  The profiteroles (cream puffs) are filled with a rich, pudding-like cream that was unlike any I had ever tasted, then topped with a thin chocolate, pistachio or caramel drizzle. Enjoy them at a table in the “quintessentially French” cafe where savory items, such as fresh-sliced charcuterie on a baguette or generous portions of homemade quiche, are also on offer. (Patisserie St-Louis de France, Montréal,)

The outside of Patisserie St-Louis de France and their famous profiteroles.

While the recipes of Mamie Clafoutis may be a well kept secret, their light, flaky croissants are not. Since 2008, six locations have opened in Montreal, enticing the crowds with their delectable treats.  What can be better than a warm, buttery croissant? How about one filled with chocolate or pistachio cream? The shop’s owners and master bakers, Nicolas and Joseph, founded Mamie Clafoutis to pay homage to the traditions they experienced growing up in a French household. They share memories  by providing fresh, warm treats, made with passion and skill, recalling those they had enjoyed from their grandmothers’ kitchens during childhood.

The ins and outs of the pistachio croissant at Mamie Clafoutis.

The crowds start flocking to Mamie Clafoutis pretty early, and lines begin to form around 7am.  Rest assured you’ll still find most of your favorite treats even midday, as they bake around the clock. Be sure to grab a ticket on your way through the doors though, as counter service requires you to take a number.  Mamie Clafoutis, has various outposts throughout Montreal and some have a great loft area to sit back and relax while enjoying your desserts.

Pain au chocolate on display in Mamie Clafoutis’ window; putting the finishing touches on the Tarte aux Pommes

While Juliette et Chocolat is more of a chocolate bar and creperie than a traditional patisserie, it is undoubtedly worth a mention for the delectable, chocolatey treats found round-the-clock. Because who wouldn’t want a sweet plate of happiness morning, noon and night? Owner and chocolatier, Juliette Brun, calls her shops (nine in total, five of which are in Montreal) “paradises of GLUTTONY” and it’s easy to understand why.  Just when you think a warm, foamy cappuccino can’t get any better on a crisp autumn day, try having it with warm dark chocolate drizzling down the sides of the mug. That’s exactly what you get when you order the Juliette Cappuccino.  Of course, don’t miss the Complete Waffles, loaded with strawberries, bananas, fresh whipped cream and, you guessed it, a serving of dark chocolate coulis making this a sensational way to start or even end your day.

The Juliette Cappuccino and Complete Waffles at Juliette et Chocolat

Montreal is a food lover’s dream.  Many of these delectable finds are found within yards of a metro stop.  With little planning and a big appetite, a weekend trip is sure to delight any food lover looking for both savory and sweet finds.

WHERE TO TRAVEL IN DECEMBER

Whether you’re planning a Christmas shopping trip or in desperate need of a reprieve from the cold weather, December is as good a time as any to take yourself away. Travel with Musement this month to one of these exciting places.

From the warmth of the Arabian sun in Dubai to the romantic lights of Paris, Musement shares where to travel in December no matter how you may have imagined your holiday season.

1) Dubai

Dubai is a warm and sunny beach destination year round and December is no exception with its exciting entertainment, great shopping and cultural hotspots. Home to the the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper, Dubai is known for its continuously transformative design and architecture so it should come as no surprise that the city is also anticipating the construction of an even taller skyscraper by 2020. See the city from the top of the highest building, or check out the stunning skyline and Arabian Gulf by boat where your wonder and awe for Dubai design will be reignited by the Palm Jumeirah. If you brought the whole family to Dubai, you won’t be disappointed, with plenty of theme parks and activities such as Legoland, the Dubai Aquarium and the Underwater Zoo! Stick around for New Years Eve too, and watch one of the world’s most enchanting fireworks shows.

Underwater Zoo in Dubai

2) Cape Town

Cape Town’s stunning natural beauty is the perfect motivation to travel this December. The weather is warm and pleasant with little rain on average creating a great opportunity to get in touch with nature and ascend Table Mountain, where you can get the best view of the amazing forested slopes, blue ocean and seemingly endless sky. Further explore the Cape and settle into your vacation with a delicious wine-tasting tour paired with regional cheeses. Cape Town also has some amazing beaches where you can watch the sunset, or go on an exhilarating sailing excursion where you may spot some playful dolphins or a magnificent whale.

Chapman’s Peak – Cape Town, South Africa Photo credit: South African Tourism via VisualHunt / CC BY

3) Hong Kong

If you’re looking for top entertainment, delicious food, affordable spa experiences and some cultural adventure with a sense of ease, Hong Kong is an ideal choice for December. An English speaking city-state due to its historical relationship with Britain, Hong Kong boasts all the trappings and charm of an extraordinary Chinese metropolis. Take an exciting tour of the naturally lush Lantau Island where you can visit the famous Tian Tan giant Buddha statue and explore the Ngong Ping Village or have some good old-fashioned family fun at Ocean Park. Despite Christmas not being a traditional holiday in Hong Kong, the locals love to celebrate it anyway, with decorated trees, lights, shopping and fantastic feasts all across the city. Don’t miss an unforgettable New Year’s Eve countdown by the harbour, or even better watch the countdown on a romantic harbour dinner cruise.

Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong Photo credit: Ray in Manila via VisualHunt.com / CC BY

4) Hanoi

December marks Vietnam’s dry season with a daily average of a lovely 18 degrees. Although the temperature in Hanoi is slightly lower, this season marks some truly remarkable cultural opportunities. For one, Ha long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site made up of stunning geological isle formations, emerald water, mysterious caves and grottos that you can admire by boat. Or, visit another World Heritage Site known as Imperial Citadel of Thang Long with ancient artifacts and ruins dating as far back as the sixth century. For a peaceful and scenic holiday, Hanoi is the perfect destination but if you have time and are looking for exciting Christmas day or New Year’s Eve plans, visit Ho Chi Minh City where the buzzing city atmosphere is cheerfully contagious.

Ha Long Bay, Hanoi, Vietnam

5) Paris

The City of Lights is dreamy in December as the way Parisians celebrate the holidays is nothing short of an art. Paris is a favorite romantic destination year-round, although there is something extraordinary about this city at Christmas time. There are always great opportunities for shopping, Christmas markets, Cabaret performances, incredible French food including cream-filled pastries and wine and of course the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, which will definitely be the highlights of your trip!

The Louvre at night

ALEXIS MAKES A SIENNA MAKER JACKET IN UPCYCLED PATCHWORK DENIM!

Hello sewists, Alexis here, ready to show you all the details of my very own Sienna Maker Jacket, guts included!

In the studio this fall we had a bit of an ongoing joke about how many maker jackets a person could possibly sew. We actually started developing this pattern well over a year ago and there were, of course, many muslins sewn up while we tweaked the design before sending Sienna off for testing. With the three different views, and our new extended size range, this meant we had a lot of samples to sew for our photoshoot, as well as the four samples we made for our Montreal Maker series. Considering this army of lovingly crafted jackets, you’d think our team would want to put this pattern aside and sew something new, wouldn’t you? Well, Heather expressed it perfectly – this pattern is truly a team favourite and we obviously just couldn’t stop.

For my first version destined for myself, I knew I wanted to sew View C. I was a fan of the back vent detail for this view ever since our pattern drafter Celine first dreamed it up.

I also had a collection of old denim I decided I would finally put to use. I had a thrifted pair of jeans that I had been coveting for a long time even though they were a strange cut and the wrong size. The denim had this crazy zigzag pattern printed on it. It looked like a bleach job, but it must have been chemically done by the garment manufacturer because it seemed like they came that way. I also had thrifted a pair of jeans with the worst, most blotchy indigo dye job you have ever seen. The patchy colours reminded me of playing with watercolours though, so this denim was also destined for a maker jacket.

When it came to deciding on the patchwork layout I froze. After spending way too much time on Pinterest looking at denim refashions I had decision fatigue. This zigzag denim was also so precious to me! I had already attempted making a pair of Morgan Jeans from it that ended up too small. The more I cut into it, the less I would have for the next project if this one failed too. After stalling for too long I finally just went for it, remembering a popular Heather mantra: It’s only fabric!

When Heather shared a progress shot in our Instagram stories during one of our team sewing days, we had a lot of questions about how I dealt with cutting on grain. For the most part, I could see the direction of the grain just by looking at the twill weave in the fabric. I also wanted the zigzags to run straight across. To be honest, there were some places where I just fudged it. I was starting to run our of denim when I cut the under sleeves. All the denim was non-stretch and pretty sturdy so it worked out in the end!

I added the sleeve pocket to the left arm only. I added a little interfaced patch to strengthen the spot where the snap back closure would be installed.

I also added cuffs to the sleeves, using our Kelly Anorak sleeve cuff tutorial. This was an easy customization to make. I shortened the Sienna sleeves by a couple of inches to allow the finished length of the sleeve to include the cuff. I narrowed the hem of the sleeve as well, keeping the top of the sleeve the same width and shape so it would fit the armscye of the jacket. I added a little extension to the bottom sleeve pattern piece so I could assemble the sleeve placket as per our Kelly cuff tutorial.

I am always a fan of a pattern that can have a completely clean inside finish without the use of a serger (I write the bulk of the instructions for all our patterns and am always trying to figure out how to make the insides as pretty as the outsides). The patchwork denim panels were flat felled. Whenever two flat felled seam lines intersected, they were hammered flat. The only parts of this jacket that were serged were the inside raw edges of the pockets, and the side seams where it would have been absolutely too bulky to flat fell a seam that had already been flat felled a couple of times! I also serged one of the seams on each two-piece sleeve, since it can be tricky (though not impossible!) to flat fell a seam in a tube.  The hem and back vent seam were finished with bias, as well as the armscye seams.

Let’s talk about pockets! I sewed one camouflaged patch pocket on the right side (I’m pretty proud of this print matching!), and made one welt pocket on the left side.

For this welt pocket I kind of made it up as I went along. I had lost of practice sewing welt pockets with our Sasha Trousers pattern so I felt somewhat confident when it came time to cut into the jacket front.

The pocket bag of the welt pocket is secured in the facing and hem of the jacket, and it doubles as an extra inside pocket!

When I was ripping apart the vintage jeans, it was so fun unstitching the seams and seeing how the denim had faded in places. I particularly loved this scrap that I saved for an inside pocket on the right side of the jacket.

I stole a piece of Heather’s hand-dyed linen from our scrap heap for the back neck facing. (Thanks, boss!)

This was a pretty involved sewing project that took some time to put together because of all the details. I do plan to sew another Sienna Maker Jacket someday soon since I want to sew View A in a stable knit. I’m so glad I finally got to sew a Sienna Maker Jacket for myself after all this time! It’s been fun wearing it around the office while working on our next pattern!

HEATHER’S EMBROIDERED SIENNA MAKER JACKET!

In the studio we’ve been laughing about the never-ending Sienna Maker Jacket content… it feels like we’ve discussed and explored this pattern way more than most (just see our Montreal Maker series here for proof) and we’re not quite done yet. Alex shared her glorious upcycled denim version earlier this week, and today I’d like to talk about my latest take on Sienna, one that involved hours upon hours of hand embroidery.

I’ve yet to make myself a cropped Sienna (I’m planning to make a classic denim version with a cozy shearling lining in the spring) but was happy to have a go at the mid-length variation, something I could easily throw on top of sweaters this winter. I was unsure what fabric to go with until I spotted this lovely linen denim at New Craft House in London (thankfully they still have some in stock!) and knew it would give me the chance to explore directional stripes.

Rather than matching stripes on all the pockets, I rotated them to break up the jacket. Sometimes playing with stripe directions can hurt your eyes, but these ones are wide enough that I think it works. I also skipped the belt to create a sort of oversized blazer. I really love the way it feels to wear this, so if you were on the fence about that belt, feel free to skip it (our namesake Sienna did the same with hers!)

The biggest hack I made was to add a back yoke. I had my heart set on doing some hand embroidery (we, in fact, nixed a huge embroidery module for this pattern, but are hoping to do something special for our first pattern of 2020!) and then spotted this gorgeous printed upholstery fabric at one of our wholesalers. It would have been too stiff, and frankly too busy, to use for an entire jacket, but I decided it would make the p

I worked on this on and off for the better part of autumn since embroidery takes forever and I kept ripping out parts I didn’t like. At first, I thought I might embroider that entire center portion but when I actually got started on it I realized the jacket wouldn’t be finished until 2025. Instead I tried to compose some flower groupings, and then linked them together with some tendrils and leaves. I’m still relatively new to embroidery, but adding a relatively easy design like this is a super fun way to give your handmades a little something extra.

To make the yoke, I eliminated the center back seam on the back. This is easy to do on the 0-20 size range since the back seam is straight, but if you’re making 14-30 you’ll have to straighten out the back seam first since it has a bit more shaping. I then traced off a yoke shape, leaving a 1″ seam allowance at the bottom. Once the yoke was done, I stitched it in place along this seam allowance and then basted it in place along the shoulder, armscye and neckline before assembling the whole jacket.

It’s way too cold in Montreal to wear this as outwerwear, so I’m leaving it in the studio for the forseeable future to wear while I’m sewing or when I’m chilly and need the extra layer. I just love having these big pockets to hold all my tools in.

Have you ever tried your hand at embroidering your me-mades? Tell me about it in the comments!

erfect base for some freestyle floral embroidery.