Episode 36: Laura Ashley, Iconic Designer & Company

If you were a 90s kid (like Alicia was) or the little sister of a 90s kid (like Sonia was), chances are Laura Ashley influenced your bedroom design. Laura Ashley, born Laura Mountney in Wales in 1925, started her iconic, eponymous company by screenprinting in her Pimlico apartment with her husband, Bernard. Inspired by a Women's Institute exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Laura wanted to make a patchwork quilt--but she couldn't find any fabric that she liked. So, she designed her own. This episode is sponsored by Quiltfolk. Travel stitch by stitch with Quiltfolk — wherever you like to read… or sew. Use coupon code HandmadeHistory for 20% off your order on Quiltfolk.com. Soon, the Ashleys were selling scarves (a la Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday) and tea towels in shops in London--and just a few years later, they opened their own London showroom. Listen in to learn: How the Ashleys went from two shops and a showroom in the UK to 450 shops around the world The interesting lifestyle choice that Laura made in order to escape a cramped cottage in Kent The Laura Ashley brand today (it's still classy!) What exactly the Women's Institute is A pretty sidetrack about smocking Grab your work-in-progress and your crafting bestie and listen in for more fun facts and trips down rabbit holes. (And deep apologies for Alicia's butchering of Welsh place names!) This is our last regular episode of Season 2 - stay tuned for one more bonus episode, and then we will take a break and be back in September! Show notes and sources here. Have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected]. Find links, images, and more on the free blog post for this episode; visit our Patreon page at patreon.com/handmadehistorypodcast. Or visit our website at handmadehistorypodcast.com for more information. Also, in May 2026 we are doing a readalong of Jane Healey's The Saturday Evening Girls Club (this is an affiliate link--your purchase will support Handmade History at no cost to you). Grab a copy of this fantastic historical fiction novel and join us on Instagram, Facebook, or Patreon.