Sharing my story has always been an important part of my business, and lately I've been making connections with other creative individuals. I'm always surprised when their stories are similar to my own - small businesses ran by their founders who thrive through their attention to details and flowing creativity. Natalie Morrow of Stansberry fits this mold. I love the colors and handmade quality of her pieces. I ran across Stansberry while on Design Sponge and Natalie was kind enough to share her story - see the interview under the beautiful pictures of Natalie's products.
{ Multi Strand Beaded Necklace in Purple/Coral }
{ Long Beaded Necklace in Turquoise/Green }
{ Border Scarf in Yellow/Denim }
{ Tassel Bracelet }
{ Red Flower Scarf }
{ Striped Scarf in Coral }
{ Magnesite and Hammered Beads Necklace }
{ Border Scarf in Blue/Coral }
Here is my interview with Natalie Morrow of Stansberry.
How did you get
started?
After being forced to close my beloved clothing boutique a
few years ago due to the recession, I was at a loss for what to do next. I knew
that I definitely did not want to go back to the corporate world where I had
been previously. I soon started playing around with a new sewing machine that I
had received as a Christmas gift. I had loved sewing when I was a teen and I
was eager to see if I still had the skills! Quickly, I was back into the groove
of sewing and soon I was designing and sewing clutches and handbags. A friend
of mine suggested that she have an open house for me and my new handbags. Fortunately
it was a great success! With this encouragement, I decided to go for it. I
named my business “Stansberry” which is my mother’s maiden name. She is the one,
after all, who taught me how to sew.
Presently, my business has now evolved into designing and
creating scarves and jewelry. My goal is to make busy women’s lives a little
more effortless and a little more chic.
Do you hand make all
your products?
The scarves are all handmade by me. Each scarf is either
hand dyed or hand drawn. I then sew the edges of each scarf using a rolled hem
stitch for a refined, quality finish. A few of my scarves also feature a
decorative embroidered stich which is also done by me. Each piece of jewelry is
also handmade by me.
Do you dye your own
scarfs?
Yes, I do dye my own scarves. I use a dip dye technique to
achieve the desired patterns. I also have a couple of scarf styles where the
pattern is hand drawn by me using fabric dye pens.
Where do you source
you materials for jewelry and scarfs?
My fabric is a silk/cotton blend and it comes from NYC. My
jewelry supplies are all sourced from companies based in the US – this is
something that is very important to me.
Any other products in
the works?
I am currently working on Fall 2014 designs. Fall is
“Stansberry’s” strongest season. I love fall because it allows me to work with
wool. I’m looking to expand beyond the wool infinity scarves that were so
popular last fall and move to more innovative styles and shapes. As for
jewelry, the gold trend continues to be very strong and I will experiment with various
types of chains and layering techniques.
