A Stitch in Time
From her charming studio in New Orleans, this entrepreneur is revitalizing the
art of personalized heirloom linens, but with a contemporary twist.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAYMON GARDNER TEXT BY MELISSA OZAWAJANE SCOTT HODGES is in the business of storytelling. Not
in the traditional sense as, say, a novelist or songwriter
might be, but through Leontine Linens, her line of bespoke
handcrafted table, bed, and bath goods that are intended
to be passed down through generations. As she says, “every
piece of linen tells a story.”
The tale of how Hodges founded her business began
20 years ago, when she was engaged to be married. Whilevisiting her parents in Lexington, Kentucky, she discov-
ered her great-grandmother’s monogrammed sheets,
handkerchiefs, and doilies. “I started daydreaming about
what my own monogram would look like,” she recalls, and
with it the stories her new life would bring.
But she couldn’t find pieces with a modern sensibility—
bold colors, oversize scale—so she set out to create some, think-ing, If I’m looking for them, perhaps others are too. She came
across the Eleanor Beard Studio in Hardinsburg, Kentucky,
which had been making linens since the early 20th century,
and began working with its artisans to produce her own line.
For clients, Hodges begins the process with a meeting.
“Every item we sew requires a conversation,” she says of
her custom approach. Even in this digital age, there are
no digitized designs, no factory assembly lines, no online
ordering. Each monogram is drawn by hand and embroi-
dered or appliquéd by skilled seamstresses. To Hodges, it
makes sense to take such care: Her wares are personal and
meant to be touched. “We wake up every day in a bed, dry
off with a towel after a shower, use napkins and tablecloths
at meals,” she says. “Linens are some of our most intimate
objects; they should be special.”Sew Lovely
Bottom right:
Hodges at Leontine
Linens’ flagship
store, where the
hand-embroidered
bedding and wide
selection of mono-
grams are on dis-
play. She believes
handkerchiefs and
napkins should be
used and enjoyed,
not relegated to
the closet beyond
special occasions.Leontine
Linens
2015 HOME WINNER
Jane Scott
HodgesNew Orleans
leontinelinens.com44
GOOD LIVING
American Made