I’ve added a small selection of Merchant & Mills tools and notions to the shop this week and thought you might like a close look at them.

If you are finishing up a Fairfield Button-up Shirt right now or have a button-up in your new year sewing plans, these buttons might intrigue you.  We have four versatile colours in stock, all with a lovely distressed finish.  They are 3/8″ (1 cm) in diameter just like our Thread Theory Corozo buttons but are a little bit thicker and thus suitable for heavier flannel and wool winter shirts in addition to cotton shirts.

These Merchant & Mills buttons are comprised of Urea (a heat resistant plastic).  You can choose from tan (above), charcoal (below)…

…brown…

…or light grey.

Each set of 10 buttons comes in a sturdy tin with a sliding lid.

Also packed in a tin, we now have Merchant & Mills’ cute and functional Rapid Repair Kit!

This small tin is packed full of everything you need to perform emergency first aid on your garments while you are away from the sewing machine.  It also makes a nice gift (and not so subtle hint!) for a friend who doesn’t sew and is always asking you to mend things for them.

The kit is filled with tiny thread snips, a selection of safety pins, some versatile buttons, a glass vial of hand sewing needles, a paper sleeve of pins, two cardboard bobbins of thread, and a paper measuring tape.

The scissors included in the Rapid Repair Kit are the smallest (and cutest!) that Merchant & Mills has to offer.  On the other end of the scissor spectrum, let me introduce to you the Tailor’s Board!

These hefty scissors with one knife blade and a blunt tip are often known as bookbinder’s shears.  They are designed with constant cutting of heavy duty fabrics in mind (such as wool and leather).

The long blade cuts through cloth swiftly while the blunt tip does not snag on multiple layers of material.

They measure approximately 9″ (22 cm) from tip to handle.  They come engraved with the Merchant & Mills logo and wrapped in stamped paper.  They are nestled in a gift box and would make an excellent gift for someone who has serious tailoring, upholstery or leather working plans.

The last little addition to the tool section of our shop isn’t from Merchant & Mills but is instead a nifty Dritz tool also suitable for someone interested in serious tailoring – a bound buttonhole guide.

This simple little tool comes with surprisingly in depth instructions that are very well illustrated.  For those unfamiliar with the bound buttonhole process or for those unsatisfied with their buttonhole attempts, this guide and instruction set will really help you!

Why not try adding couture bound buttonholes to your Goldstream Peacoat or Belvedere Waistcoat Project?

For those of you wondering when we will be restocking the many items that have recently sold out in our shop, please check back in January (and expect a newsletter)!  After a year end studio clean out and some time with family over Christmas, Matt and I will be turning our efforts towards freshly restocking our shop come the new year.