Remembering Laura Ashley…
n 1953, a young (twenty-eight) Welsh secretary, Laura Ashley, living in a small flat in London with her husband and two little children, was working on a quilt project; a craft she had learned from her grandmother. She was looking for certain kinds of Victorian fabric designs to use in her quilt but couldn’t find the colors and patterns she wanted.
nspired by printed fabric she had seen at the Victoria and Albert Museum, she designed what she was envisioning, which her husband, Bernard Ashley, then printed on a few yards of linen on a machine he made himself in their attic apartment. That was the beginning; the original investment was about $20. But worth a gazillion in display of faith and pluck.
ooking at her work, I think her fabric designs were inspired by the old quilts she grew up with; the clear yellows and blues, soft romantic pinks, old fashioned milky greens; and the simple florals and prints you see in vintage quilts. I think maybe she was also in love with old China dishes. These two inspiration assignments are just conjecture on my part, because these are things that inspired my watercolors and I always felt she and I must be some kind of kindred spirits when it came to the colors and patterns we love.
he cotton scarves Laura and Bernard made in 1953 were an immediate hit in local stores. People fell in love with their style and color sense. Soon Bernard left his job to print fabrics and run their blossoming business full time. They did it all themselves, built their business slowly, and at the same time, continued to grow their family. It was Bernard’s idea to call the business Laura Ashley; he thought it should have a feminine name.
Behind every great woman, there’s a great man (if she’s lucky), preferably one who cooks.
y the 1980’s, there were over 200 Laura Ashley stores all over the world, filled with the most wonderful things you’ve ever seen: cotton and linen dresses, crisp white blouses, nightgowns, straw hats, lampshades, flowery umbrellas, dishes, fabric, wedding dresses, sheets and comforters, and wallpaper all in the softest, most beautiful colors and classic styles. Laura Ashley was shabby chic before shabby was chic! Maybe she was a tad chic-er than shabby, but her things all had a very soft romantic feel to them. I still have decorating books she produced that show her classic design sense in the houses she and her family lived in. Laura and Bernard Ashley changed the way millions of people decorated and thought about the comforts of home.
discovered Laura Ashley when I first came to New England. Whenever I left Martha’s Vineyard, I was always lost on the roads, especially when I got into the bigger cities, but still, like one of those beach geiger counters, the beep-beep in my head got louder and stronger as I honed in on the Laura Ashley store on Newbury Street in Boston. I never missed an opportunity to visit; would go to Boston just to go to that store, to be surrounded in the fresh colors I loved. I wallpapered my bedroom in my first house on the island in a sky-blue Laura Ashley print, and loved to wake up, still dreaming, in that blue cloud and listen to the birds singing, or watch the snow falling outside my windows.
remember one spring day, it might have been the first mild day of that year; I drove to Boston because I had a hair appointment. The daffodils were in bloom in The Common; I bought new dress at Laura Ashley. I wore it out of the store, walked up the street (thinking myself adorable, like Diane Keaton), went to my hairdressers where I got my hair cut — all clean and shiny, I then took myself and my Country Living magazine to lunch at a sidewalk cafe. That day is fresh in my memory; I remember feeling so happy and free and lucky in the sunshine with my new dress and haircut!
he Laura Ashley store was small, very close to The Ritz Hotel. The first thing you saw when you walked into the shop, was a table in the window set with Laura Ashley dishes for a tea party, on a Laura Ashley linen table cloth, with linen napkins and etched glassware. A person wanted to sit right down, drape herself with a napkin, pour the tea, click the cups into their saucers, but you couldn’t stop because there was more…
Just behind that was the clothing, rows of pure white cotton blouses, fitted with details such as capped sleeves, darts, covered buttons, some of them slightly gathered at the shoulder, some with stand-up collars; labels reading “cotton,” and “linen;” Made in Great Britain. The dresses were along the wall; skirts fluffed out like a colorful flower garden. The wedding dresses were toward the back in a glass case, like dessert, all whipped cream and lace; the furniture, wallpaper, and bolts of fabric, were up on a raised platform. It was heaven in there. I could’ve lived there.
ou won’t find Laura Ashley on Newbury Street anymore, because (big disappointment to find out, I’m quite against it) nothing stays the same; the store is gone. In 1985, there was a terrible accident. On her sixtieth birthday, much too young, Laura Ashley fell down a set of stairs at her daughter Jane’s house and died a few days later of a brain hemorrhage. Even though her name lives on, the Ashley family is no longer associated with the company. The heart had gone out of it for them; the designing woman, cherished wife, and mother of four children was gone, taking the color sense, the genius that was Laura Ashley, with her.
irls, if you never saw a Laura Ashley store you don’t know what you missed. I still have this wonderful hat, which I’ve never looked good in (I look like a bowling ball in it, it covers my eyes down to the tip of my nose). I knew I’d probably never wear it when I bought it, but I still could not resist such an adorable hat; it must be twenty-five years old now. I keep it in my studio, have painted it many times.
hen I think of inspiration, I think of Laura Ashley. She made the world a prettier place to live.
Are you a kindred spirit too? Comments…
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In my old house we had Laura Ashley curtains,valences, a cornice and wallpaper and borders in 3 bedrooms and a bathroom. The curtains were so well made and the fabric was so lovely. I shopped at a Laura Ashley store in SanDiego, CA. The two women who worked there were so helpful and so very friendly. Susan, I love your green and white striped sundress! (I love the sunglasses, too. You look great!)
Would have loved to see your old house! Thanks Carol!
Such sweet memories. Thank you for the history. My daughter
had a Laurie Ashley bedroom. A wonderful soft pink striped wallpaper with floral and striped sheets and comforter. Her grandmother took one of the floral sheets and made a slip cover for a small upholstered rocker that was her other grandmothers. I too made white curtains out of a white laced cotton table cloth. She had a Laurel Ashley tea set in a pastel chintz on her shelves. All is now in her daughter’s room. The best is days prior to her graduating from Princeton Seminary- We went shopping at Laurel Ashely in Princeton. Walking in that shop was magical. Amy was graduating and preparing for her wedding to a fellow graduate. So did we have fun! My favorite purchase was the sweetest soft aqua cotton pique suit. Several years later she was still wearing it at her son’s Baptism at the Presbyterian Church where she worked as an Associate Pastor. Laurel Ashley shaped so many of us in how we decorated our homes. Like you, she empowered us to do what we truly in making our homes ours. Thank you!
You look absolutely fabulous in the green dress AND the sunglasses. I also, still, love Laura Ashley fabrics and still keep some of my old pieces just because…………..
You´re definitely a soulmate… Have to travel to England two times a year to breathe some island air (I live in the middle of Germany, near the beautiful river rhine but miss the sea sometimes), fill up my PG Tips stock, walk through some beautiful gardens, enjoy the stay in the self catering South Foreland lighthouse in Kent and shop `til I drop at the local Laura Ashley Stores…(thank God for the Sale!!!). It refills my batteries for everyday life with my three children, two cats, one husband and a job. Rule Brittannia! (And by the way: When I need an instant refill of energy/ creativity/joy I read your books or homepage and it saves the day for me. Thank you, Susan!)
We had a Laura Ashely store in Portland, Oregon, and it sounds much like the one you described in Boston! I had two darling little girls, and once I bought ALL of us matching Laura Ashley dresses! I need to dig out those pictures…. I had several of her dresses myself, and loved them so much. (I still have one saved in my Hope chest.) When I got married, all my bridesmaids made their own sundresses, from what else?…..a Laura Ashley pattern, and they all looked beautiful!
Thank you for sharing a memory I hadn’t thought about for awhile….. xo
Thank you, Susan, for sharing her story–it is all new to me. It seemed that she was the beginning of all of us old-fashioned girls being able to find the things we grew up with at Grandma’s house for ourselves. I was thrilled when my teenage daughter picked out a Laura Ashley paint color for her bedroom called Pale Silk–it looks like the inside of a conch shell, and is so beautiful with her white iron bed, and my old childhood dresser.
I have been impatiently waiting for your blog, and I can see I won’t be able to take it all in at one sitting.
Thank you for all the ways you share yourself. I feel like you are a friend. My husband and daughter tease me about “what Susan says”.
Consider yourself hugged by this southern lady!
We had a wonderful L.A. store in Houston, too. Reading this brought back so many memories of shopping there…my clients are still drawn to the new Laura Ashley fabrics, I guess for the nostalgia…so, I oblige, even ‘tho they are not quite the same.xo
I just absolutely love the “Laura Ashley” style!!! and I think you keep that style and spirit alive! Thank you! Thank you! Susan : )
Oh Susan, thank you so much for remembering Laura Ashley & her wonderful sense of style! As an designer, I went to work at the Laura Ashley shop in Santa Barbara right after her passing, (as her plans were to also have Laura Ashley Home shops & I was going to be a part of that in the US). Unfortunately, it never really panned out for the separate ‘Home’ shops, but I so loved working with all her wonderful designs & clothes that I stayed for a few years anyway. They were so generous to the people who worked for them & I still have many dresses, scarves & fabrics that I could never ever part with. She & Bernie were an amazing force. xo
Thank you for sharing the Laura Ashley story. I adored anything Laura Ashley, incuding her fragrance, and miss being able to visit a signature store.
Your style is so much a reminder of Laura Ashley … Please keep it coming 🙂
Susan, we had a Laura Ashley store here in St. Paul, too. Your description brought it all back to me–I can close my eyes and walk through the store. I LOVED her fabric, loved the “ambience” of the store. I had a Laura Ashley long-sleeved blouse of a beautiful green and gold/yellow print. When I (unfortunately) outgrew it, I cut the blouse apart and still have the fabric from it, waiting for a “special” project. 🙂
Oh Susan, You brought back so many memories of my favorite place to work in the whole wide world! I was a store manager for Laura Ashley in the 80’s. Fresh flowers( usually a lovely “jumble” of garden flowers) were delivered once a week for the front “till”. The store smelled so fresh from Laura’s special fragrances, the wood floors buffed until they glowed, and all glass and brass was cleaned and polished daily. Soft music invited one to linger and actually talk in normal tones. What is with these new stores that pump out loud bass/techno sounds? Customer service was the top priority and our customers were our dear friends. The best part was wearing the lovely clothing. We all received an allotment, each month, to make sure we were wearing that seasons’ newest look. I still have all my clothing….the Irish linen and lace petticoats, linen blouses, pleated skirts, Scottish sweaters, and the dresses that transformed you into an English country maiden. So feminine and soft. Sigh… Times and fashions do change, but it was delicious back then and we loved Laura for her vision.
Your lovely piece on Laura Ashley has brought back so many memories…My “girls” who by the way are now 40 and 34 always looked so wonderful in her dresses and each one was saved so now my one grand-daughter who is soon to be 7 has a wonderful collections…I can’t tell you how many linens and comforters I have collected over the years….Also just walking into a Laura Ashley store was like being transported to another place and time…..Thanks for writing about Laura and re-kindling such wonderful memories !!!
Years ago, when I was working as a lowly page compositor at our local newspaper and dreaming of anything to do with England, there was a girl’s rap group that came from Walthamstow to perform at our church. Later, during a get together at a friend’s house, I was chatting with one of the girls and asked her where she worked, and she replied, “The Laura Ashley shop in Covent Gardens.” Sigh. Double Sigh. Triple Envious Sigh. Then as a joke I casually asked her if she ever happened to see Anthony Andrews. (As if!) But, not only had she seen him, she had waited on him when he came in to purchase a dress for his daughter, Jessica! The only thing that kept me from ordering the sackcloth and ashes was that she quipped, “He was rather short.”
Susan,
I have always loved Laura Ashley clothes and prints…the colors were always so soft and inviting!! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful story and photos!! You ar such an amazing lady!
Blessings..
xoxo Gert
This breaks my heart!! Just last week I ordered a lovely ( in the photo) set of Laura Ashley sheets, have been a fan forever and knew she was gone but my oh my what a shock to get the sheets, horrible, cheapie, wrinkly fabric. I felt I should apologize to her for them. Gosh, how we miss the lovlies she blessed us with !!!! Donna
Was there ever such a world as the Laura Ashley stores! While the stores that we loved so much no longer exist, it is still possible to find fabric, vintage clothing, perfume and accessories on Ebay. Do make sure that you are checking the US and the UK Ebay when you are doing your search. You can also find vintage Laura Ashley sewing patterns on the Internet via Google. My entire apartment in NY, from the wallpaper to the curtains, bedspread, tablecoths, china, etc. were all Laura Ashley. And now I have carried much of it with me half way around the world. Although Laura Ashley was unique and there is no replacement, you can find certain items along the same line at Cath Kidston (www.cathkidston.com).
I so loved going to the Laura Ashley store in Denver in the 80’s! I could never really afford to buy anything but luckily there were Laura Ashley sewing patterns for many of the same clothes that they had in the store, so I made my own! I have gotten rid of all my old dresses from that time except for my L.A.’s. They still hang in my closet because I simply can’t get rid of them!!
I did finally splurge and baught a hat from the store to wear on my wedding day. It is similar to yours only not quite so round. Sadly the straw is begining to break down, so now I wear it to garden in. It is still my favorite hat!
My sweet little girl and I also owned many of her dresses AND I actually got married in a Laura Ashley dress! I loved those fabrics and styles. Thanks for the memories!!
Growing up on Long Island I had the privledge to swoon at Laura Ashley stores in Manhattan and “The Miracle Mile” store on the North Shore of Long Island. I too, have a Laura Ashley dress purchased in 1981 and oh, I couldn’t possibly look bad wearing that dress. I would buy whatever smaller things I could afford, like a lampshade on sale, not because I had a lamp at home to fit it but because the fabric was so pretty that I just couldn’t resist it! I also have an old Laura Ashley Home Design book I sort of ” borrowed long -term” from my mother! Thanks for the memories Susan.
Loved the Laura Ashley story. I have memories of my daughter and her friends just loving her dresses. There was a store in Atlanta and it was always crowded with sweet young girls oohing and ahhing over the clothing and bedding. I saw a picture the other day of 6 8th grade couples going to an end of year dance…all but one of the girls were in strapless, very sophisticated dresses. How I wish they had the chance to enjoy the innocent styles of Laura Ashley. Thanks for refreshing the memories…..Love the blog!
My introduction to Laura Ashley’s design was in a Bed and Breakfast Inn my husband and I stayed at in Newport, RI. We slept in the Laura Ashley room. I felt like a princess in there. The bed had a canopy and the room was completely decorated with Laura Ashley linens and draperies. We found the Laura Ashley store in Newport. I bought the Laura Ashley catalog for $5.00 just for inspiration.
Thank you Susan for bringing these lovely memories back to me.
This is a lovely story…thank you~
Years ago when my husband and I lived in Ft. Worth, we used to drive to Dallas to shop at a Laura Ashley shop, such lovely things from there! and near by there was a Liberty of London shop, now what manna was a day spent in both those shops? I still have several things from each. Some years later visiting a friend on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, there was a Laura Ashley Inn in St. Michaels where we visited and had lunch. Your tales have brought back a lot of memories and thanks for your refreshing those lovely days for me. BTW I never miss getting every monthly isue of Country Living, Brit Ed.
I remember the Newbury Street Laura Ashley shop… still love that kind of style of dress and decorating… on my first trip to London…went to the Laura Ashley shop and bought a beautiful black dress there…still have pics of me wearing it..wish I could wear it again. I also have a wonderful velveteen dress that I wore as my going away outfit for my wedding… maybe it could be a goal to be able to wear those dresses again <3
I can’t tell you how much in love I was with the Laura Ashley store. I still have a bottle of her #1 perfume that I bought to take on my honeymoon in Charleston South Carolina nearly 24 years ago and every time I open that bottle up it takes me back to her stores. I remember how it smelled , the wooden floors and how they felt creaking under my feet, Vivaldi playing in the background and the girls were so nice to visit ! I worked a few doors down from the LA store (Lenox Square, Atlanta) at Crabtree and Evelyn so I was able to visit everyday ! The Laura Ashley girls would come to CE to buy our fine English cakes and jams to serve customers at their store ! Those were fun days I will never forget , but more than that… Laura Ashley was more than just lovely clothing , English home decor or romantic smelling perfume… It really was a way of life and a certain attitude …… very lovely and very English ! <3
I loved her perfume as well. I still have the beautiful floral glass bottles they came in and I still have one bottle in the box unopened. I wonder if it still smells heavenly?
Susan,
I too am a kindred soul. I still several rolls of Laura Ashley wall paper. The first time I went to England in 1984 I brought back 23 LA outfits. I think we hit every store. We would hit the store before the castles or cathedrals!
Beautiful tribute.
Smiles,
Alice
As a newlywed in 1986 decorating our first home, I chose a beautiful Laura Ashley bed set from the Spiegel catalog. The floral pattern was in a soft country blue and cream, the comforter was so fluffy, the sheets smooth as silk. I did up the whole bedroom in that pattern, from the dust ruffle and curtains to the 70″ round table decorated with cute picture frames and ceramic bunnies. The bed set cost a fortune, but it lasted for years and my husband still says it was his favorite out of all the bed sets I’ve chosen thru the years. I was so sad when she passed, it was such a tragic way to die. But she influenced me greatly even to this day on how I decorate my home. Love to you Susan, I’ve been a Willard reader since day one and have all of your books. Can’t wait for a new one from you!
I still have a Laura Ashley floor length dark grey satin skirt with huge cabbage roses. I will never, NEVER, part with it; it’s timeless. I also have one bottle, 80% full, of Laura Ashley No. 1 and use it only on special occassions (I keep it in a cool dark place). I wish this fragrance would be resurrected! I found one source who can make a copy here: http://www.marteccisfinefragrances.com/Martecci_Versions_L/MV-of-Laura-Ashley-No-1.html
I tried a small sample and it’s pretty darn close. Thanks for the reminder of such a lovely store with wonderful items. Truly a time gone by…
Laura Ashley! What a wonderful post 🙂 My sister got married in a Laura Ashley dress and mine as maid of honor was one of the prettiest dresses I ever wore. We had the store in Hingham and the one in Boston – always on the shopping plan. I remember I had a neighbor who was brought in when the “new” LA division was in Boston and then closed. Thanks to her, I ended up with wonderful close outs in home goods, clothes, perfume – LOVED Emma – miss her and her stores. you should have seen her place! Thanks for the memories.
Susan
You are a 21st century laura ashley. i have most of your books..and love your website and the fun gifts you sell. i come from a large family…and have four wonderful children of my own…your willard letters…snail mail…always brought life to our house in CT in the 90’s…sometimes we all wish we could go back in time…but our future grows stronger as we set new roots here in NH…my home state…there really is no place like home…the earth beckons with a rationale i cannot explain….peace that surpasses all understanding does a heart well
oh, Susan! Thank you so much for all this Laura Ashley info. I just loved her and I just love you, too! I had never been to one of the stores but I agree with the above poster, (and by the way, you did a fab job of describing the stores, I can just imagine it). (Actually, I am wondering if I remember seeing a Laura Ashley shop at Williamsburg, VA from back in the day….., hmmmm.) anyway, as I was saying, I also believe you are the modern day Laura. I adore you and I am so very pleased that you have gotten a blog~ although the FOSB page on facebook is fabulous. A million thank you’s for all that you do! You are a blessing to us all.
xo, mary
Oh, I wanted to say, I have your hat print, as well as the “When you marry him” print~ matted and framed in my bathroom and dressing room, both rooms are classic-shabby-romantic and the prints are wonderful in there! And now I know the straw bowler is a Laura Ashley hat! Sweet!
Thanks so much for this! I had a Laura Ashley grad dress that I couldn’t wear (“best” friend bought the same one! ;-( and my room was papered in what may have been the same paper as yours. I never knew how she died so tragically. Wonderful tribute page…
Here I am in the latter time of my life (74 yrs. old and a widow) and still enjoying life. My daughters and I truly enjoy your e’mails and blog! They have made us (me much included) so inspired to continue to do fun things and I feel blessed to see how you enjoy every thing in life, as I do. My love of gardening and sewing and etc. have helped me so much to move on after my husband passing in 2004. Thank you so much for your wonderful blog and comments on Laura Ashley. I have always loved her things and was very interested to hear about her life and sad over her tragic death. I never knew what happened to her. Keep on inspiring us all and God Bless you and your wonderful husband! Marie
Oh I so loved Laura Ashley clothes, wallpaper, fabric, anything and everything. I always wondered what happened, because all of a sudden I couldn’t find anything of hers in the US. I used to go into one of her stores in California and just smile. One of my favorite memories is wearing a Laura Ashley dress while I was pregnant and walking into a surprise baby shower my family gave me. Life was perfect at that moment! Susan, thank you for telling her story, what and inspiration!
Thank you so much, Susan, for posting this bio of Laura Ashley. I don’t recall ever being in a Laura Ashley store (though I can’t believe there wasn’t one, somewhere in the great city of Chicago) but I did purchase a LA dress–somewhere–which I wore to my daughter’s First Communion in 1990. I still have it, although it, hmmm, somehow “shrank” over the years. . . It’s red with pink flowers, and I still love it and will never part with it. Such a shock to hear about how she died—what a tragedy—and age 60 seems to sound younger every year (especially since I’ll be passing that milestone this September!). I’ve been having great fun reading your blog—thanks for all the inspiration, energy and sheer happiness that shines through everything you do!
Dear Libby,
The Laura Ashley store in Chicago was in Water Tower Place in the early eighties. I also shopped at Crabtree and Evelyn.
Have a nice day.
Margot
Ah Laura Ashley . . . Still miss wearing all of those darling clothes. I was fortunate enough to be in London when they still had her shops there. It was my idea of heaven! Will always have fond memories of those visits. Thank you for reminding me of those times. ♥
Along with copies of my favorite cherished magazines, I still have my Laura Ashley catalogs from years ago. I still use her color and fabric swatches in them for inspiration. But you are right, “nothing gold can stay. “
Laura Ashley, her stores were a delight. My daughter’s name is Laura and my granddaughter’s name…Ashley. I’m always reminded! I still have the perfect green pleated lamp shade for my grandmother’s antique lamp and am so pleased when I walk into our guest room…actually Ashley’s room, or so she has declared.
DD and I found her bride’s maids dresses at Laura Ashley. Again, a deep green that was a perfect compliment to DD’s strawberry blonde hair and colorful bouquets. I am taking extra care of the scarves I’m still in love with. I miss those stores and would love to have known someone so talented.
Oh, I forgot about the pink and white flowered tea pot and sugar and creamer that I received one Mother’s Day when my 2 girls were teens. They combined their allowance and gave them to me, all smiles (I think their Dad helped). I realized that my girls knew me, really were paying attention and it was such a sweet day. We still use them for our tea parties.
Oh I loved Laura Ashley in my twenties!! I dreamed of having a little girl & dressing her & I in matching outfits. Alas, when my girl came along it was 2001 it harder to find those lovely outfits & she doesn’t like wearing dresses anyway!!! The room my husband & I spent our honeymoon in at a B&B in Door County, WI was decorated in Laura Ashely prints. What a wonderful creative spirit she was!!
Such a delightful remembrance of Laura Ashley. My steps were also like a magnet to our Laura Ashley store in Colorado Springs. Yes, I wore her dresses and scarves. Yes, I still have some of them. Yes, I have her bed linens. Yes, I still love them. Aren’t we lucky to have such a wonderful memory? If only…..
I have two old catalogs from Laura Ashley. There is a childs playhouse in that is decorated so sweetly. Love them. Thank you for your wonderful story.
When I got married 21 years ago my bridesmaids wore Laura Ashley dresses. I borrowed one of my sisters for my honeymoon and wore it all over Santa Fe. It was floral and flowing and it brings back such wonderful memories as a young June bride.
First to the Laura Ashley shop for something small in a print pattern. Then to Crabtree and Evelyn for some Aberdeen Heather potpourri and other room scents, then back to our little house on the marsh in Charleston, SC for blackberry iced tea and time to pore over my Victoria magazines. I lived in a floral world in a pastel city, both literally and figuratively. That time of my life, my beautiful Charleston before the words “international destination” were used, and King Street before the mall chains live on in my heart. Thanks for the flood of lovely memories!
Oh Miranda, I so remember following your same routine!
Laura Ashley in Philadelphia, and I have the “Cottage Sprig” teaset and
also the tablecover, little egg cozies, placemats, etc.! Still have them all!
I’d have my Victoria Magazine subscription delivered to a PO box so they wouldn’t ever get torn or shredded… I pushed my new, fresh-as-a-daisy baby daughter to the PO, get my Victoria, and while Alexandra napped, I’d dream, lost in the pages of Victoria. Loved Laura Ashley perfurm No. 1 and wore it to Alexandra’s Christening and my daughter Georgette’s First Holy Communion. When I whiff that scent, I am so taken back to a long ago, beautiful, very feminine world!
I came home from teaching a quilting class today and was looking for a tea party pattern for one of my students when I came across your website. I was taken back to my strolls through Williamsburg, VA and visiting the Laura Ashley store at Colonial Williamsburg. I loved that store. I have a Laura Ashely tea set my husband gave me and use it every day. I loved that store and loved my stroll in time with you. Thank you.
Thanks for the memories… I also once made special trips to the two Laura Ashley stores in Pittsburgh. I still have and wear a very favorite Laura Ashley hunter green corduroy vest with a tan buttermold-type flower print. I also still have many L.A. patterns… some never used. My biggest L.A. purchase was my very first sofa and love seat, in a L.A. fabric… navy blue with a charming buttermold-type print in tan… purchased in 1978. Wish I still had them!!
I loved our Milwaukee Laura Ashley store and was so sad when the store here and those in and around Chicago closed. I fell in love with a LA blue and white fabric that resembled Chinese Ming porcelin. During a store sale, I bought the entire roll of fabric (50 yards? 75 yards?), and it has sat in the closet of our guest room ever since. Two years ago, I bought a new Viking sewing/embroidery machine and, once I feel confident of my skills, plan to make some pillow shams, a duffet cover, bed skirt, and drapes for our guest room. It’s a classic print that will never go out of style. Like many of you, I hate when things I adore disappear. I don’t know that my life mirrors those in Victoria magazine, but I was so thrilled when it started being published again and love falling into each new issue.
Oh, Barb! Weren’t you the smart cookie to save this Laura Ashley “Ming” fabric for such a special project?! Know you’ll have fun using your wonderful new sewing machine ~ send pictures of the completed room so that we can all bask in your nostalgic happiness! ~ Terrie from Atlanta, GA
My first apartment was all about Laura Ashley. Loved her look but could not afford as much as I wanted. Only was in one store in Cleveland. It was like a story book. You wanted to live there.
Susan I totally get what you are saying about the way Laura Ashley fabrics, clothing and stores made you feel. I felt the same way. I would get the sample squares of fabric that they would give you at the stores and I made doll quilts out of them for my daughters. I was devastated when Laura Ashley passed away. My mother actually sent me flowers that day because I was so sad about her passing. I will pull out my Laura Ashley decorating books this evening and reminisce. Thanks for your wonderful thoughts on this great woman.
Oh Susan, you truly are a kindred spirit!
I worked at 3 Laura Ashley stores over the years, Palo Alto (Stanford Shopping Center), Denver (Cherry Creek Mall), and Lake Forest, IL. Back in those days, employees had to dress “head to toe” in Laura Ashley garments. But the family still owned the company then, and was very generous to employees. We received “allotments” every month, which meant we could shop for our clothing with points we had earned. I was very tiny back then, and kept all of my allotment clothing. I still have it all now, years later. I doubt I will ever fit into any of it again, but my youngest daughter will probably want to wear them when she is older. She LOVES them!
It was while working at L.A. that I fell in love with smocked little girl dresses. I purchased several for my older daughter, and now my youngest daughter wears them. I even taught myself to smock so I could recreate these styles.
I STILL have my beautiful Laura Ashley sofa in my living room, along with L.A. lamps, shades, teapots, china, tea cozies and a rather embarrassing stash of L.A. fabric! My guest room is completely decorated in the “Polyanthus/Priory” pattern, which is still in marvelous shape. And my little one, well, her bedroom has the “Bunny Jo” border on her walls, and I just made her curtains out of L.A. fabric. I purchased it back in 1997 at the Denver store, along with the crib bedding, while praying for her to arrive. It took 8 more years of prayer, but we finally had her in our arms, and in her Bunny Jo crib.
I laughed as I saw your lovely stack of sapphire blue fabrics, as the beloved print names flew back to my memory, as fresh as ever.
I never got to meet Laura, as she died the year before I started working at the Palo Alto store. I was blessed enough to meet Sir Bernard Ashley and he was lovely. Now, I think I must go make myself some tea, and sew up some of my stashed fabrics.
Loved your story about Laura Ashley! I have always loved her fabrics…her styles…what she represented in my mind. But never actually looked into details of her life. Thank you for sharing that. I found a cute Laura Ashley green- checked vintage toddler little girl’s dress at a thrift shop just this week. Now all I need is a granddaughter! 🙂
One thing at a time, your priorities are perfect, first the dress, then the baby!
🙂
I bought a darling smocked dress for a dear much younger friend as she always wore smocked dressas as a child…..the only problem is that she keeps producing boys! So now I am tryng to find someone else to give the dress to! Still in its gift-wrapped box!
Reading this made my day… In my mind I can see and smell the wonderful LA stores in Glendale, CA and Pasadena, CA (which was inside Bullock’s). Lovely memories of my 20s… dating and getting engaged in LA dresses… wedding with LA flower girl dresses… shopping at LA in San Francisco on my honeymoon. Each winter I still wear my three LA hats, all now 20+ years old. Currently my bed enjoys a sweet pink and white LA dust ruffle! Wish the stores were still around. Same with the perfume. Thank you for reminding me of how pretty and lovely LA has made my life!!
Susan, I was just browsing your site, which I often do, looking at all of the recipes and such, and clicked onto the I Love England part, and voila, I see your lovely dedication to beloved Laura Ashley. I was in no way surprised to see it, for the beautiful spirit that she embodied is much the same as the beautiful spirit that you embody. She was such an inspiration, and so are you. My wedding dress was from Laura Ashley in Princeton, NJ. My mother and I made a special trip together, and it remains as one of my favorite memories of my Mom. I tried on only two dresses that I had already picked from the catalogue, and in fifteen minutes, I had my dress. My mother made the headpiece for my wedding out of lace and fresh flowers. I felt so happy and so pretty in this dress and I will never part with it (had it preserved). I also own three other LA dresses and I will always keep them as well. Thank you for this lovely tribute to Laura Ashley, you truly are her kindred spirit.
I worked in a Laura Ashley store in NY in the 80’s. It was my way of living there. I used the beach border in my bathroom and made a pink quilt for my daughter from the kit that was sold there. I know in my sewing room there are still a few scraps tucked away.
I didn’t know it was Laura Ashley wallpaper in my childhood bedroom, but after seeing your snippet of wallpaper I now know it was! Mine was a peachy-pink color. I still have the matching set of pine chest-of-drawers my mother covered with that wallpaper. If it isn’t true Laura Ashley, it was a close replica. I also had a second hand cotton/linen dress of hers that I wore with a ribbon around my neck to complete the look. That was in the 1970’s. Because of this post I want to research her and find out all I can about her. Thank you!
I’ve always loved Laura Ashley…her wallpaper, her fabrics….everything. I never knew her history/story. That’s one of things I love about you, Susan Branch, is that you share all of this wonderful information and details many people aren’t interested in. Thank you for all you share and how you enrich our lives with the wonderful details! Gail 🙂
I sat down today and looked through my Laura Ashley catalogs from 1987 and 1998. While looking at the pictures I realized that the rooms shown are timeless. It is just amazing. Love it. 🙂
Thank you for bringing back so many wonderful memories. I had so many wonderful shopping experiences, with dear frinds, in Laura’s shops. We were lucky to have so many shops in our area. I have number of her dresses. One dress is a lovely blue print. I would wear this dress to the Laker games. Each time i wore it, they would win. Our surrounding fans told me to keep wearing this dress. Those were MAJIC days. When we traveled I always took Laura’s beautiful blue and white luggage. She is gone but not forgotten.
I loved Laura Ashley too, and had many of her outfits. We used to shop in the Laura Ashley stores in Palm Springs, Calif. and South Coast Plaza in Cost Mesa!! That was in the early 1980’s. I used to sew a lot of my clothes back then, and always used Laura Ashley patterns! I think they were by McCalls! Wow! I’d nearly forgotten that!! I was heartbroken when she died and when they stopped making the clothes and fabrics. Haven’t seen anything Laura Ashley in years. How nostalgic! Thanks for the memories!
I still have a photo of chairs that she designed – beautiful oak ones with a cathedral back- never could find them …sigh…
I remember the first time I stepped into a Laura Ashley store. It was in the Short Hills mall in New Jersey. I was transformed. I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was and how it made me feel. I bought so many dresses and loved how I felt when I wore them. I am sad that all that was available then is no longer. It was a world filled with grace, elegance and beauty.
Checking out the blog for the first time today and what do I find—Laura Ashley! Like everyone else, the memories flood back. I shopped at the South Coast Plaza store in Costa Mesa, CA. My girls had a LA room, including wallpaper!
I still have the Johnson Bros dishes featured in the catalog– “Petite Fleur” –and, yes, the fragrance! It’s been a long time. Thanks for the memories, Susan.
I gasped when I saw you had written about the most adored Laura Ashley~ Thank you so much for writing about this magnificent designer and lovely lady. I will always treasure my decorating books of her ideas and patterns….many of them I have followed religiously!
I am enjoying your BLOG very much…..you are adored, as well, dear Susan. Thank you for brightening our days!
I had an friend who was English and would travel to England in the summer and bring back Laura Ashley fabric for me before it was available in the US., back in 1975-77. I made a blouse, a dress and a few other items. I still have a few yards of her fabric in my stash… I recall it as being narrow, maybe 35-36″ wide. Though we live not far from Boston, I had not visited her store there.
Thank you for the interesting bio on Laura Ashley…
WOW!! I too miss the Laura Ashley stores that used to be my favorite 🙂 I especially loved the one in Carmel, CA. If ever any store was kindred with the heart of Carmel dressing, it was the Laura Ashley store. Every year when we went there for the A.T.&T. golf tournament, I simply wasn’t happy until I found my treasure at the Laura Ashley store. I still have European pillow covers that I made myself with the blue and white stripe with pink geraniums, and they still adorn my bed! Now that I think back on it…..they have lasted for years and I still love them!! Thank you Laura Ashley and Susan Branch for being “my kind of girl”.
Oh Susan, this brought back wonderful memories of visiting the Laura Ashley store in Chicago! My mother and I own a bridal shop in Montana and used to go to Chicago each September to buy new merchandise for the store. When we had a spare moment, I would hop in a taxi and make a beeline for the LA Store where I would spend at least an hour slowly taking it all in! One year, I found a LA lampshade in my favorite taupe & plum roses fabric, on sale! I had the sheets, comforter, dust ruffle and pillow shams at home and I just HAD to have that lampshade! To my mother’s chagrin, I hauled that lampshade home on the airplane (when they still allowed you to take such things as carryons) and it is still in my second bedroom, as is the bedroom set. When I was touring my little Victorian cottage for the first time with the realtor, thinking, “I love this house, but can I afford it? Do I really want to move?” she took me into the smaller bedroom and there on the wall was lovely wallpaper in light brown with pink and plum roses….the perfect match to my beloved Laura Ashley bed set! I knew I had come home, and now that bedroom with it’s white iron cherub bed and Laura Ashley prints is my favorite room in the house. I have quite a few LA Decorating books, as well as all my catalogs…I think I will go sit on the porch with a cool glass of lemonade tonight and peruse through them again. Thanks for the memories!
my husband went to england on business several times. during one of his visits he bought my daughter and myself dresses… and our daughter, age 1 did have a little straw hat very similar to susans… wish i could share a photo with you.
laura ashley dresses that is.
Oh the beautiful colors and patterns of her fabrics, and the few dresses I was able to purchase for my daughter. I too, after fifteen plus years, have three beautiful pillows I purchased at a Laura Ashley outlet store in Michigan resting on my bed quietly. Ahhh….colors are still so vibrant….
There used to be a Laura Ashley store at the Bridgewater Commons (NJ) not far from where I live. I was always inspired and delighted every time I walked into that shop. I always wondered why it disappeared and now I know. Her designs were so special it’s no wonder everyone who owns them hardly ever parts with them. I have her floral swags and pink and white stripped valance and every summer when I put them on the windows the room is transformed into this delicious confection, so peaceful and serene. By the way, I just love your web site, blogs and musings. You also inspire me to live beautifully.
I just love all of the info on Laura Ashley.Wow,what a story.I loved browsing in the store at South Coast Plaza.I found a wonderful cotton nightgown at a thrift shop.I love it.It is falling apart,I have been looking for another.Boo,hoo.On another note,when I had my daughter my husband purchased the cutest little cloth and french terry lined sandals.How sweet they looked.I still have them.Thank you for your friendly,encouraging website.Your books have really given me ways to show my family that they are so special.
Boy, reading this brought back a lot of 1980’s memories. I may even have a LA dress stashed away in my “really pretty dresses that I just can’t wear now, but can’t get rid of because they have nice memories” box!
For a walk down memory lane, if you look up “Laura Ashley” on e-bay, there are a lot of vintage LA dresses for sale – they sure were lovely.
Hi Susan
Thanks for all the time you spend reminding us of the good old days, which are still rolling by. I did our bdr. in Laura Ashley years ago and it is still with us and we love it and all who visit do too. It’s for keeps.
I have a ton of Laura Ashley store(ies)! Over the years I have visited Laura Ashley Stores in New York, California, Canada, England & Ireland. My father went to the “local” Laura Ashley store in San Diego at least 2 years in a row in the early 80’s and bought me a dress at Christmas time. I still have the dresses as well as the boxes they came in -one box is a glorious xmas red and one is a perfect forest green. I keep Christmas ornaments in them and when I unpack and pack Christmas each year I remember Laura. In 1989, when I was getting married, and needed a wedding dress, my father took me, my mom and bridesmaids to that same Laura Ashley store and I tried on wedding dresses. I knew ahead of time the one I wanted, having picked it out of the Laura Ashley bridal catalog but the one I wanted was designed for a woman (tall & buxom) built exactly opposite myself (short and flat) and when I came out and modeled it we all laughed ourselves silly! I tried on another dress that day and voila’ – it was perfect! Dad bought that dress on the spot and took us all out to lunch where we laughed about it some more. Fantastic memory. Thanks Dad! I still have that beautiful dress and my hubby and I are going to celebrate 22 years of marriage very soon. Life is good. (Even though the company is no longer what it was when Laura was alive, I have the Laura Ashley app on my iPhone and seeing her classic logo on my phone brings a smile to my face!)
Ooooo Laura Ashley…those were the days. I can remember my younger sister Kathys wedding dress, a beautiful white dress with mutton sleeves, was a Laura Ashley dress. And my daughter Ann wore a beautiful pink floral dress as her maiden of honor. All had fresh flowers in their hair…a beautiful sight. I`ve had wallpaper, sheets, china, clothing from those lovely stores. It was such a special outing to go there…I can remember the excitement. Another clothing line I loved was the original Villager and Ladybug, with the fresh floral prints…we`d get a cute little ladybug pin with purchase. Now we have you Susan,
and we are all so happy. My daughter CC loves your things as I do. In fact, I`m in the process of making your blueberry pie….so I`d better get back to it…my grandaughter wants a blueberry pie for her birthday…instead of cake…Blessings to you..keep up the beautiful and whimsical artwork….you are an inspiration to me and my art. Michele
When I was married in the early eighties and living in Chicago, I would go into the store at Water Tower Place, but I could never afford a dress. Fast forward about 15 years and my little sister who is 12 years younger gave me a hand me down dress in Navy Blue. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the tag, and I don’t know where she got it! Since the dress has a jewel neckline I wear a white crocheted collar with it that my mother crocheted(sp?). I don’t see anyone wearing this style anymore. Since I am small I tend to think I look like a little girl in it, but it is so feminine.
Thank you for your kindred spirit. Cooking and sewing and keeping family memories are important skills that should carry on in this world today.
Margot
PS You looked great in the hat! My mother did millenary as a hobby in her twenties. Circa 1950s
I found Laura Ashley garden tools, gloves and boots at our local garden center!!!
Oh how this brings back memories! I used to work at a Laura Ashley store 1988-89 in Glendale, CA. It was so much fun! Since it was the company’s belief that we employees should be displaying the Laura Ashley look, we were given an “allotment” each month of clothing. It worked on the point system but amounted to a free dress each month! Can you imagine? It was such a treat. With my employee discount I purchased wallpaper for every surface of our home and decorated our upcoming baby’s nursery with everything Laura Ashley from floor to ceiling. Great memories – I sure wish the company survived. I even ended up naming my daughter “Emma” partly because I loved their perfume of the same name (I think Laura’s daughter was named Emma).
On a separate note, I wanted to tell you that I’ve loved your books for many years and that my favorite recipe of all-time is your orzo salad with rosemary and feta cheese. I’ve probably spent the equivalent of months pouring over your beautiful books. You are truly talented – thank you for sharing it with us!
With fondness,
Karen
We used to love going into the Laura Ashley shops as kids- if I was lucky Mum would buy me a dress from there 🙂 My sister and I had matching dresses we called our ‘waterfall’ dresses because they had flounced tiers on the sides that made us think of waterfalls 🙂
I love and miss both her work and Laurel Burch’s! Why do the good one’s die young?
It was such a happy day when a LA store went into a little group of shops across the street from the elementary school where I taught in Knoxville, Tn. I loved going in after school; the serene #1 scented store was balm after a busy day with first graders. I sewed all of my clothes then using LA patterns and fabric. My prettiest dress ever was a periwinkle flowered dress that I actually did purchase there. I miss the soft, feminine, modest look of those clothes. I also have a LA tea set which, along with a Peter Rabbit tea set, I held on my lap on the flight home from England.
Perhaps one of you lovely Laura Ashley fans could help me…
I have been searching my brain for a rememberance of the
name of the pattern of LA wallpaper I had in my first home (1978-1985).
For some reason I thought the name of the pattern was “Needlepoint Rose” as
it looked just like that… bright pink roses in a squarish, needlepoint design.
I had it over a chair rail, and underneath I had a smokey, french blue-gray pattern, the name of which escapes me… I’d love to recreate that room, if I only
had the names of the patterns. Anyone out there with a catalog or decorating book?
Long Live Laura Ashley!
You have just sent me on a lovely trip down memory lane (Newbury Street, actually). The year was 1983 and I had just arrived at the Ritz where my best friend Betsy would FINALLY meet my fiancee Frank. Imagine my despair when I felt a strange POP (and a slight breeze) down my back where my zipper had just burst wide open!! But, not to worry- I quickly made my way a few doors down, to my favorite store…Laura Ashley where the helpful staff helped me find the perfect replacement dress (I should have worn LA from the start!)
Susan,
I too miss the Laura Ashely store that we had in London, Ontario. Walking into the store you stepped into a world of romance. I too have a Laura Ashely hat that I absolutely love. It is similar to yours with a wider brim that is surrounded by pastel coloured English Roses. I too haven’t worn it much as it doesn’t really suit me but I still consider it one ofmy best purchases. I also have a Laura Ashely white sleveless sundress that has multi coloured flowers in the pattern. I remember when I first purchased the dress I hung it on my bedroom door and was filled with delight each time I looked at it. I do miss the decorating fabrics with the wonderful Chinz patterns that brought to mind a cottage in the Cotswolds or an English summer. It would be great if these stores could be brought back to business the market is missing missing the romance and elegance that the Laura Ashley stores provided.
I miss the exquisite cotton lawn summer dresses, which were so flawlessly made, so incredibly flattering, and so distinctively Laura Ashley. In 1991, I bought beautiful mother/daughter dresses for me and my three year old, which I still have. Her perfume also was amazing and never has been duplicated by anyone else! At the time that Laura Ashley died and in the few years that followed, I knew someone in retailing who explained to me that Laura Ashley’s son had tried to keep the company going, expanding it dramatically, and in the process overextended the company and ultimately brought it down. So, so sad. Also sad was the way that the Laura Ashley label was just “sold” off to any and everyone and became meaningless, when. in fact, it was SO incredibly valuable and recognizable for its quality and uniqueness. I have been and continue to be be totally baffled as to why someone in retailing hasn’t stepped up to “fill the need which clearly is there.” As we all know, there are millions of devoted Laura Ashley fans who would kill to buy HIGH quality cotton and linen clothing, (and wool clothing in the winter) exquisitely designed in the style and spirit that Laura Ashley did – if not exactly the same, not to mention offering exquisite chintz fabrics, wallpapers, sheets, etc. There will NEVER be another Laura Ashley, but, SURELY, there is a brilliant retailer/entrepreneur somewhere in the world who could step in to offer something similar. (April Cornell has offered some nice things, but her dresses were NEVER as flattering or well made as Laura Ashley’s.) The cost of cotton is currently skyrocketing; so, right now may not be the perfect time to start such a company. But, surely, there must be another would-be Laura Ashley type designer out there, somewhere. So — would-be entrepreneurs/designers: ARE YOU LISTENING???
It was such a sad end to Laura and the Laura Ashley style. She was one of those entrepreneurs who put Wales on the map – most people don’t even realise we are not just a region of England! I was a huge fan right from the beginning and I remember a very exciting visit to her shop in Shrewsbury in the early 70s and my very first purchase of an iconic long pinafore dress. I still have it.
In the late 80’s my sister, Stacey was married in a beautiful cotton brocade Laura Ashley wedding dress. She looked perfect in it with her tiny waist and french breaded hair. It inspired the homemade “Laura-esk” bridesmaids dresses that our Mom and I made for the four young ladies standing up in the wedding. The dress fabric was pink and yellow floral with a light turquoise background. They turned out great but here is the best part. My son, Joel, 4 years old at the time and Stacey’s new niece, Nancy, also 4 years old were the flower girl and ring bearer. I made Nancy a pink striped dress with eyelet smock and Joel a pink striped shirt and white nickers! These two little blonde cuties stole the show. People said we could rent them out to other weddings. What a great day and great memory!
Thank you! I was given a Laura Ashley jumper before I married my honey. I wore it many times (until a gentleman asked when my baby was due…I told him, “oh, no, I am not married!”). I felt gorgeous in it. After marriage, I had a son and a daughter. I made Laura Ashley dresses for my daughter and accents for my son…especially at a Easter. Such cuties!
Hi, I am replying from the UK. LA has been dominant in my home for over 30 years. My daughters and I wore LA clothes, I bought and made curtains, cushion covers and other accents-in fact still do! I have LA furniture particularly a beautiful leather chair and stool-which is copied by visitors to my home!! I have lamps from over 22 years ago-recycled into my 18 month old granddaughters bedroom! Still in excellent condition.
Just about to make roman blinds and cushions with beautiful silks I have bought in the sale!! Yes, the company has changed hands and evolved over the years, yet still retains that reassuring uniqueness-I look forward to receiving my copy of the annual catalogue each year.
Susan,
Your story of loving Laura Ashley designs brought back so many memories for me! I remember first discovering the Laura Ashley store on a trip to San Francisco, I walked in and I just knew that “this was it”. This was the style that I loved, it was hard not to buy everything in the store! Then I found out that my soon to be sister in law who lived in Virginia also loved Laura Ashley, we would spend hours on the phone pouring over the latest catalog, circling everything we wanted to buy. At the time I worked for my grandfather and every hour that clicked by I would calculate in my head how much closer I was to purchasing that next item on my list. Whether it be a white cotton blouse with a peter pan collar, or a navy silk sailor dress. I can remember dragging my grandma to their store in downtown Seattle, I can still remember the sweet smell as you walked into the store. Unfortunately I don’t quite fit into all of my old Laura Ashley finds, but they are waiting patiently in my closet all pressed and ready to go! Thanks for the great memory!
I recall fondly my first set of Laura Ashley sheets…my first Laura Ashley Designs book…my first visit to the Laura Ashley store in Santa Barbara:) Good memories!
Just wanted to share that my very crafty daughter asked me if she could have my lovely cotton & lace Laura Ashley wedding dress to remake into a dress for her own wedding next summer. I can’t wait to see her creation & I know she will be lovely in it.
That’s going to make you cry . . . but I’m sure you would, no matter what she wore!
Thank you Susan for your lovely blog and Laura Ashley biography. I “window shopped” at the Laura Ashely store in Baltimore, Maryland in the 1980’s. Although my income has always been very limited, I am thankful that I have several of Laura’s lovely clothing and decor items, including wallpaper, which all have been purchased at local thrift stores, most in perfect condition. It has been a “love gift” from Jesus for sure, in answer to prayer for needs met in a lovely way. God bless you, dear!
“Kindred spirits” is a blessed state of mind. When I look at Laura Ashley or Susan Branch creations, I immediately feel I could share confidences and laugh for hours! I wore a green print Laura Ashley puff-sleeved dress to go on a first date with my future fiance. Years later, I worked at my local Laura Ashley store when I was pregnant. I wanted to be surrounded my those lovely prints and accessories. I wore those Laura Ashley dresses to work and smiled at the choice of prints in my closet. That was 20 years ago. I still have a beautiful blue-flower tea set, quilt squares and a straw hat that looks terrible on me!! Maybe we should form a group…not the Red Hats but the Straw Hats Society!
I first became acquainted with Laura Ashley shops in England. There was a small one on Little Clarendon Street in Oxford and my English best friend and I would frequent it with her little girl in a push chair. We could hardly afford anything but absolutely adored going there. I did pick up some fabric remnants on sale but that was all. You can imagine how excited I was when they finally opened a shop in the USA in San Francisco..even if it was almost as far from me as England!!! From then on the shops seemed to grow like topsy and eventually I worked just a few doors from the LA shop in Princeton, NJ. I lived in there and have many things still in my house like chintz lamp shades, sheets, a round tablecloth and pottery. After my husband died prematurely, I spent months decorating my guest room in LA from top to bottom. And I went to London and came home with a lovely quilt which I still have and use as well as throw pillows and all sorts of olther goodies. At that time I fell in love with the charming Alice pottery pattern and started collecting that..most of which I still have. I also had Cottage Sprig as well as that matched the sheets and wallpaper and quilt. I still have a stash of fabric and a quilt I never finished in Smoke in that wondeful blue shade which was one of their signature colors.
I also made a tiny quilt for my then cat from pink and white scraps all hand-quilted which as easy as it was so small. I have a huge roll of chintz in Victoria bought on sale if anyone needs any. I t has been carefully stored over the years but I cannot use it anywhere. I loved Laura Ashley and I can truly say that her style influenced me a lot although I was already into a lot of her style from family influence. Now I have moved onto Emma Bridgewater although in a different way…..and my house is full of her iconic designs which I have collected since her beginning in 1986. (sell some as well). I am truly blessed in that I have been to England almost 30 times over many years and have been to the Bridgewater factory many times. Cath Kidston is nice but has almost become too commercialized and her stuff is made in China which takes the edge off it. Bridgewater is made in England!!! They did lovely designs for the Royal Wedding this year. I feel as if I have been part of a wonderful period of design emanating from the UK for a large portion of my life. ANd yes I have gotten Country Living UK since it was first published and Victoria as well.
The magazines in England having to do with interiors are truly wonderful and you can usually buy them at Barnes and Noble..although at a stiff price.. Forego some of those fancy coffees and buy a wonderful, inspirational magazine instead.
Mary-Anne… I think the pattern I was inquiring about was called “Shepherd’s Purse” and it was in the color Smoke… accompanying it was a roses pattern that looked like needlepoint fabric… the bright pink design looked lovely with the Smoke… can you tell me what patterns you have in Smoke and the official name of the “needlepoint roses” pattern?
Patricia
You have been brightening each day for me! I loved the music and walk with you along the beach! Enjoyed the article about you in the Women Who Create magazine, your recipes, stories and drawings bring a smile to my face. Thanks so much for sharing!!!
It sounds like many of us must be about the same age…young women in the late 80’s, discovering ourselves and our style. I have so enjoyed reading all these memories!! I was first introduced to LA myself in 1984 when I was in college and sewed a spring dress from a McCall’s LA pattern. How I loved that dress and how pretty I remember feeling as I walked to class! For my wedding in 1986, I sewed another LA dress for my going-away outfit and wore it on our honeymoon. I made many more LA McCall’s dresses over the next few years and loved all of them but one. I have saved all of those patterns and even remade one of them a few months ago!
I also have purchased many ready-made LA articles of clothing and remember well the Palo Alto store. The quality of the LA fabric was absolutely superb and far superior to anything I could get at the fabric store. Over the years, as fashions have changed, I have picked up many LA dresses at thrift stores and from online auctions. Even now, I find them. I think women save them for years, reluctant to give them up, but finally they let them go when they realize they will never fit in them again. I am lucky in that I am mostly the same size now as when I was married. The big question is can a 47-year-old woman with graying hair still wear LA? Well, I do, and somehow it works for me!
I grew up wearing Laura Ashley…my 8th grade graduation and high school graduation I sported a white cotton dressed with fresh pale pink roses and ribbons in my hair. I thought no one loved Laura Ashley as much as I …and then I saw your blog and was blown away. I am 35 years old and still remember walking into her store in Raleigh, NC. What I remember most is the way it smelled each and every time, it was like heaven. And I cherished each purchase…them wrapping my dresses in perfect laura ashley tissue paper then sealed with a Laura Ashley sticker. Although I loved my dresses and I was especially fond of the floral romper. I still buy Laura Ashley off ebay to surround myself with that wonderful vintage things that only she could create. I recently bought her Quartet line off ebay and decorated my entire bathroom…it’s like heaven! Thank you for sharing this, it made me love you even more. P.S. I wanted you to know that I read you book “Girlfriends” everytime I have a really bad day it instantly makes me smile and remember who I am, so thank you for that.
I have a plum colored Laura Ashley couch in my living room. It looks just as good as the day I bought it. My two cats are in love with it and curl up on it in the sun in the afternoons. I purchased that couch when I was a single school teacher with a tax refund check that was the EXACT amount that it cost down to the penny! Praise God for His provision! The room is filled with antiques, vintage tea cups and lace table runners. There is a Christmas tree that lives in the corner year round with turn of the century glass ornaments on it. I started to take it down and my kids said, “MOM! You can’t do that … it is part of our house!”
I also had (HAVE… because I just can’t part with them) several Laura Ashley skirts, blouses and dresses. I sew and I made clothes with Laura Ashley patterns, too, in addition to the ready made clothes I purchased.
Thanks so much for your blog and website! I visit every day to see what’s new. What a breath of fresh air it is! I would love to come to Martha’s Vineyard some day. It looks magical! Thank you for your commitment to making our world a little bit sweeter with your lovely art and inspirational words! I feel as though we are kindred spirits because I echo your feelings that come through your words and images. Keep creating!
Laura Ashley was my inspiration in all my decorating !! I loved everything she did –my first purchase were the pink striped sheets and pillows with the ruffles. More than I could afford but I splurged!! I still have 2 of her deco books. Sadly after she left us it was never the same the designs and colors were all wrong–then completely gone! Oh, how I loved her design—I can see her in your work. I guess thats what drew me to you — the gentleness of it all—lady like.
Tea and cakes, ruffles and roses!!!
I did my daughter’s nursery with her Hey Diddle, Diddle the Cow Jumped over the moon. I had the wallpaper border and had the baby’s great great grandaunt make her a tie quilt with the fabric to match. I also had yellow gingham curtains made by her aunt. It was so fresh with blue and yellow. When I first got married, in 1988, I framed the 1987 calendar that was gorgeous Botanical Prints. They were on my wall till a few years ago. I didn’ t know that she died in 1985 or anything about her and her husband. Thanks for sharing the stories. 🙂
The year before Mrs. Ashley passed away, I lived in Greenville, SC and a neighbor was one of Mrs. Ashley’s cousins. Mrs. Ashley would send “care packages” of clothing, house goods/wares, etc. to the cousin and the small neighborhood would be all a-twitter at the neighbor’s good fortune. Gosh, it was almost as exciting as if one of us had received the package!
I still have a couple of Laura Ashley dresses and still wear them. They must be 25 years old and still look wonderful!
Thanks for reviving the memory and thanks for this most enjoyable post.