Thoughtfully designed and sustainably made to last.
How It All Began
Since 2011, I've used my love of baking and sewing to inspire traceytoole designs, a line of tabletop linens, blankets and homegoods. One day in 2016, I found this photo of my grandmother, Molly McGowan Toole wearing a long, well worn apron. As I thought about my grandmother, her life and that apron, how she probably made it herself, by hand from a flowersack or canvas scrap McGowan Mercantile was born.
In 2022, I decided to combine traceytoole designs and McGowan Mercantile.
Proud Member of
Present Day
Today I use fabrics just like the ones my grandmother wore back in the 1930's. These vintage-inspired products are all handmade in Brooklyn from sustainable materials like up-cycled, organic and deadstock fabrics. They're tough enough to stand up to your work day or your toddler's kitchen adventures. They're classic enough to pass down to the next generation. I hope these products inspire you to bake, cook, eat, build and enjoy life more sustainably.
A percentage of profits is donated to the Gowanus Canal Conservancy.
This organization is dedicated to the cleaning and care for the parks and public spaces in the Gowanus lowlands. The Gowanus canal is a few blocks from our studio and is deeply polluted from factories operating in this location for many years.