The Miller Waistcoat from Merchant & Mills
Emphasising the versatility of the Miller Waistcoat from Merchant & Mills
This is my first Miller Waistcoat from Merchant & Mills but I don’t envisage it being my last. I do think that M&M know how to cut a good tailored pattern; the Eve trousers, the Strides and now the Miller have all been good makes for me.
I’d made a pair of Merchant & Mills Strides in this white linen several years ago and only had the smallest of scraps left. Luckily the Miller doesn’t take a lot of fabric and, by using a contrast back cut from one of my husband’s discarded work shirts, I was able to make it work. If you use linen, denim or suiting fabrics and like the ‘gentlewoman’ look, the Miller is a good way to use up those smaller scraps.
Playing pattern tetris with my scraps!
The waistcoat is described as ‘softly structured with a boxy fit’. I usually take a size 12 in Merchant & Mills patterns but, on this occasion decided to size down to a 10 for a closer fit. Because I wanted to wear this as a top in its own right, this proved to be the right choice; I’m perfectly happy with the fit and it’s still roomy enough for layering.
The Miller proved to be a straightforward make and I found the instructions to be clear, with good construction methods. It’s aimed at the intermediate sewer and I’d say that’s accurate. As long as you’re confident with welt pockets (which could be omitted) and your machine can manage decent buttonholes, you should be fine! I found the instructions for the welt pockets to be well written and the only change I made was to stay-stitch the entire pocket opening, rather than just the corners.
The rear strap can be fastened with a buckle slider, buttons and buttonholes or simply wrapped over and hand-sewn. I chose to attach the buckle slider, purchased from Merchant & Mills, for a traditional look. Similar buckles appear to be widely available online.
The Miller is a very versatile addition to my wardrobe. It can be worn as a simple summer top, paired with skirts and trousers; as an additional layer over summer dresses, and as a layering piece over shirts and jumpers in the cooler weather. I will definitely be rifling through my scraps to run up a few more!
