We recently connected with Izzy Morrison and have shared our conversation below.

Izzy , appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project that I worked on was during my first artist residency at NoceFresca in Sardinia, Italy. Towards the end of the residency, we had the opportunity to showcase our work and open our studio to the local villagers. I spent that month forging and collecting native plants to dye fabric and learned traditional embroidery techniques. During the showcase, many women from the local villages shared stories about their grandmothers using the same plant material to create natural dyes and that they haven’t seen anyone do that in decades. They shared the memories of walking into their neighbor’s home, each with a different vat of dye, remembering the smells of walnuts, pomegranate, acorns, myrtle, fig, and more. Even with a translator, we shared beautiful moments filled with storytelling and remembering the importance of passing on and keeping traditions alive.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was very lucky to grow up in a creative household and discovered my love for crafts at an early age. I’ve tried mosaics, watercolor, oil paint, film photography–everything! It wasn’t until the pandemic when I realized how much I needed a creative outlet to help with my anxiety and to keep my hands busy in a way that did not involve a screen. That’s when I discovered embroidery and fell in love with the meditative and repetitive motions to beautify textiles.

At Waverly Linens, we specialize in hand-embroidered linen tablescapes and natural dyes using local California plants, native flowers, and kitchen scraps. We weave traditional embroidery techniques and botanical dye processes together to honor Earth’s natural beauty and capture and memorialize stories of our past and generations to come.

Each Waverly Linens piece is unique and tells a story. Our inspiration comes from the native California flowers you pass during your daily commute, a memory of your grandma, a celebration of marriage, a french-ish themed dinner party, or a first date. We are excited to share more stories through embroidery and continue diving into the colors we can create through California’s natural beauty.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Perfectionism! It took me over 6 months to create the “perfect” website. I wish I had started promoting my work earlier instead of trying to create the perfect website or social media post. It’s been one year since I’ve officially launched my website and I’m already excited to redesign my branding and services offered. I now know that there will always be more opportunities to iterate and evolve and you just need to start somewhere.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Most recently, I hosted my first natural dye workshop and it’s been really fun and rewarding stepping into the teacher role. Everyone was really excited to learn more about the process and surprised to see all of the colors we can create from kitchen scraps and local forage.

I’m grateful for all of my teachers over the years and I’m excited to continue passing down these important traditions!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.waverlylinens.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waverlylinens/

Image Credits
Matt Gaillet Ariana Dixon Justin Kohlberg