It all started with Italian linen and lockdown.

 

I had always wanted to find a way to honour the beauty of my nonna’s table linen – hundreds of the most exquisite bits of fabric all tucked away in our family home in Montese, Italy – but in a way that would feel personal and relevant. One summer, on a whim, I embroidered my favourite song lyrics to one of her vintage napkins (There is a Light That Never Goes Out on a white linen napkin, if you're curious). I loved the way I could use these beautiful fabrics as a canvas to tell a totally new story.

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Back home in London, and when the world shut down during the pandemic, I kept on embroidering and didn’t stop. It was a creative outlet and something to do. I even embroidered a list of the questions my kids asked me over the course of one endless day of home-schooling. Soon, friends started asking me for commissions, and then friends of friends. The business grew and so did my collection of thread and vintage fabric, sourced from fairs and markets in the UK and Europe.

 

Since I started sharing Nonna’s Napkins with the world, I’ve embroidered lyrics, poems, literary quotes, favourite sayings, text messages, recipes and maps of personal landmarks to celebrate weddings and anniversaries. Everything that is commissioned is so meaningful; it’s a small business with a lot of heart.

 

Get in touch with me at polly@nonnasnapkins.co.uk to talk about any ideas you might have.