How To Make Jubilee Embroidered Crown Napkins with Sophie Holt, Deputy Editor of Sew Magazine (UK)
Stitched napkins make great party favors as they’re quick to stitch up and can be customized for any event – whether you’re creating Jubilee souvenirs or birthday party keepsakes.

Feature by UK guest blogger  
If you’re familiar with my blog, Flowerona, you’ll know that I’m passionate about all things floral. Roses are the most popular cut flowers in the world…and it really is no surprise when you consider how many amazing different varieties there are. With colours ranging from pink, white, red and yellow to lilac, magenta, apricot and orange.

The Queen’s Jubilee and the Olympics are almost upon us and events celebrating all things wonderfully British is reaching fever pitch. A very proud British brand ourselves, and with over 50% of our product made in the UK, we will also be waving our patriotic flag this summer with absolute gusto! Recognizing Laura Ashley as one of the great British heritage brands, The Victoria & Albert Museum has curated...

Do take a seat! You’ll want to relax a bit with such a busy weekend ahead-- we heard so many of your desperate chair woes this week, that we thought it necessary to nudge you to action. And if luck would have it, you may win our fabulous fabric giveaway and need to be staple gun ready!

Most often the best seat in the house is qualified by either its look or its comfort, rarely both. Admit it… that old passed-down chair from mum and pop is your choice spot for curling up with The Hunger Games yet it remains the bane of your stylish façade. But not to worry...

Arriving on set of the Laura Ashley summer photo shoot was a bit like stepping onto the high streets of London. We were fortunate to find a little piece of home just a few miles south of our office in the charming neighborhood of Baxter Village. The Six Pence Pub and its token red telephone booth offered us the perfect spot for our inspiration to come to life.

Just in time for Easter making and baking, our friends at The Make Lounge in London share the how-to's of decorating cake pops...For those who have had their head in the culinary clouds for the last few years, a cake pop (in it’s most basic form) is a sphere of condensed cake sponge, covered in icing and secured on a stick (like a lolly only with cake).

We’re still not April Fooling! ReTweet + follow @lauraashleyusa on Twitter for another chance to win. This time we’re giving away a set of garden toiletries including our Hand & Nail Cream, Bar Soap and Lip Balm.

No April Fools on Twitter! April showers bring May Flowers. Be prepared for both with our Cressida Umbrella and Garden Gloves. Flutter over to Twitter... ReTweet and Follow @lauraashleyusa for your chance to win!

Tom Young is an accountant turned garden virtuoso and founder of our favourite local garden hub Young’s Garden Center. We caught up with the gracious Tom for a guided tour around the nursery and to secure a few expert tips for planting this season. You’ll stumble on a diverse range of botanical treasures at Young’s including...

The date is set for a proper gathering among friends. You’ve secured grand mum’s recipe for scones as well as a selection of lovely teas for sipping. The linens are finely pressed for the table, but where will the little darlings have their tea?

It isn’t every day that you get an insider’s peek into where our illustrious (and highly regarded) home decorating range gets made. We were lucky enough to be invited to take the full tour (high vis safety bib at the ready!) by our busy team in Wales and can now reveal our factory fly-on-the wall pictures and all the hard work that goes into our products...

Warmer days are coming and beckoning us to play! And so that mum will finally have time for tea with her mates, she’ll need to keep the littlest of ladies busy in their own escape. To ensure the success of your springtime gatherings (real or naught), we’re making a few festive creations to delight play pals of all ages.

Steeped in nostalgia and heritage, stepping in to the Welsh archive transports you back to the sights and smells of Laura Ashley back when Laura and husband Bernard first printed floral scarves on their kitchen table. An old photograph of Laura Ashley sitting at her desk hangs above the doorway to the archivist’s office, fabric covered photo albums and books decorate the shelves...

Arriving on set of the Laura Ashley Summer 2012 shoot, we greeted one very lovely and essential lady to our crew—makeup artist and hair and fashion stylist Jami Savy. You could easily argue this talented beauty belongs in front of the camera but by trade, she is the skilled artist who makes our Laura Ashley models look so fresh and beautiful.

We can’t imagine springtime without little lovelies dressed in soft flowing silhouettes—styles that beg for bare feet on the grass and make-believe tea parties with friends. Whether true or pretend, tea party guests will want to dress for the part and our spring collection of girl’s dresses couldn’t be more fitting.

The irrefutably feminine and Victorian inspired image of Laura Ashley in the 1970′s and 80′s was largely defined by Jane Ashley, Laura Ashley’s oldest daughter. Her role as company photographer and art director, shooting everything from the advertising campaigns to in-store graphics, brought us the soft distinctive aesthetic that we first fell for in the 70′s and still hold in our memories today.

Across the pond, crafters make their way to a sweet spot known as The Make Lounge. Just before Christmas our London friends were busy making vintage hearts for the tree, but we think they’re worth hanging around through Valentine’s.

In keeping with the celebration of all things new, we’re thrilled to introduce you to Jessica Moore, an amazing mom and resourceful craftswoman passionate about making old things new again. An architect by trade but a designer by heart, Jessica has blossomed as a brilliant seamstress, transforming second hand clothes into something to be treasured.

It’s not Christmas in the UK without Mince pie. These tiny tartlets of meats, fruits and spices pop up all over homes, commercial kitchens and retail shops to accommodate those who believe it is good luck to eat a mince pie every day in December. Perhaps, it’s the English version of our lucky portions of pork, peas and field greens enjoyed on New Year’s Day.

Five days and counting. The gifts are wrapped artfully. The tree is trimmed beautifully. And the garland—well, it’s a bit of a bore. No need to fret, our master merchandiser has a few pointers to transform ordinary garland from basic to brilliant.

Tis the season of hustle and bustle, a time marked by endless trips to retail, the post and of course, Lowe’s. And in the midst of this frenzy, remains the burning desire to create a picture perfect home where you welcome family and friends. Certainly, we appreciate the decorating enthusiasts-- decking the halls, the nooks and crannies, and even the loo with seasonal flair.

Celebrating A WEEK of THANKS! Today, we are thankful for a good night’s rest! Whew, the holidays can be exhausting!

Celebrating A WEEK of THANKS GIVEAWAYS! Today, we are thankful for a soft place to lay our heads. After turkey and all the trimmings, a long nap will be due… Retweet and follow us on Twitter for a chance to win a pair of soft bed pillows.

Celebrating A WEEK of THANKS GIVEAWAYS! Today, we are thankful for home cooked meals. Proper kitchen and table linens are a compliment to the chef… Retweet and follow us on Twitter for a chance to win a set of festive linens.

Celebrating A WEEK of THANKS GIVEAWAYS! Today, we are thankful for our homes, so warm and cozy. So why not snuggle up with a comfy new throw… Retweet and follow us on Twitter for a chance to win this plush throw.

To celebrate A Week Of Thanks, we are giving away some Laura Ashley treats every day this week on Twitter. All you need to do is retweet our tweet and follow @LauraAshleyusa and you will be entered into a drawing to win the giveaway of the day! Today, we are thankful for our friends near and far. Be sure to welcome them warmly into your home this holiday season… starting with a proper welcome mat.

In as much as we appreciate a beautiful table setting, we’re more than a little fond of the mouth-watering all-American feast that will soon grace our plates. And in the spirit of THANKS and GIVING, we’re kicking of the upcoming holiday with a Week of Thanks just for you, our loyal customers, friends and followers. Nothing says thank you like giving, so we’ve selected a few delightful Laura Ashley things to bestow upon our closest followers….

Tis the season to be jolly… And a thousand things to do! Whether you started shopping in July or yet to take down your lights from years past, the season of gathering, giving and celebrating is quickly approaching. Anticipation...

Around Laura Ashley, we certainly love to decorate for special occasions, but if the truth be told, our bunch would forgo the tricks and carry on with the treats. We’re anxiously awaiting Tuesday. Hopeful our tots will share the wealth of deliciousness they collect while wearing fabulously elaborate costumes.

About the time you were on the hunt for the perfect pint-sized Easter dress last spring, we were busy putting the finishing touches on our girls’ holiday dresses for 2011. Yes, the holidays will be here before you know it, and with so many special occasions on the agenda, we are anxious to unveil our new girls’ dresses for holiday. But first, we thought it fun to take you behind the design--

You don’t need a little birdie to tell you that all things feathered have made a comfortable nest in home decorating. Whether you fully embrace the winged lovelies on a statement wall or opt to find your wings with small accessories, our design team recommends you fly! We’re literally all a flutter over...

We’re all very busy preparing for the spookiest of all holidays-- making scrumptious treats in the form of creepy crawly things and creating imaginative costumes for our tots to wear on Halloween. Thankfully for us working mummies, there are a plethora of resourceful mums on the web willing to share their steps for creating beautifully hand-made costumes. At Laura Ashley we have a special appreciation for things made by hand...

As the saying goes, we’re looking at the world through rose-coloured glasses! Yes, this month we’re all seeing pink with the focus on breast cancer awareness.Did you know the phrase “looking at the world through rose-colored glasses,” dates back to 1861, when it was first recorded in Tom Brown at Oxford.* Coined as an attitude of cheerful optimism ...

When our VP isn’t at the office, she enjoys preparing scrumptious dishes for her husband and daughter. Although a bit palette challenged at age 3, her picky little princess will devour a fair share of pasta. So as you can imagine there are quite a number of pasta dishes mastered in their kitchen.

Welsh born Laura Ashley found inspiration from all around her, but most noticeably in the unrefined beauty of the English countryside. Some 50 years later you’ll still find nature’s influence behind the design, and most often with a contemporary twist that reflects how we live today. Today, our designers keep quite busy creating fresh collections from their busy offices nestled among the streets of Chelsea Harbor in London.

Now and then we throw our American friends for a loop with our British-speak, so we thought it appropriate to translate a few of our favourite terms for our stateside readers just for fun. And yes, the Brits do favor the letter U; it shows up in favourite, colour and, of course, mum.With a chill in the air and new autumn wears on the mind, we find it fitting to start with a few definitions in fashion. Shall we start with trousers… our knickers certainly wont be in a knot if you call them pants, ...

Our Laura Ashley team was quite busy over the long weekend putting their talents to good use at home. Some of us were diligently making closet space for seasonal style— a slim fit suit and bowler hat plus a new range of prints including big checks, bold plaids and geometric shapes. Mixing prints is really on trend this fall though always a staple at Laura Ashley.

It was the autumn of 1953 when film star and style icon Audrey Hepburn sparked a trend that would kick-start the forays of a very instinctive designer named Laura Ashley. Ms. Hepburn-- like our Mrs. Ashley -- had an eye for spotting a trend. Coincidentally, both had taken notice of young Italian women wearing neck scarves. The actress, known for redefining glamour, incorporated the style into her role in the film Roman Holiday.

An ordinary nook can become fresh and inviting with a dramatic palette of berry set against white. These wide painted stripes are both fun and sophisticated in Laura Ashley signature colour Deep Pink 5. Complete your look with delicate details—like this custom pillow in Laura Ashley House Party Toile. Get started on your new welcoming spot with any of our 300 plus paint colours available at Lowe's Stores.    

Tending to your outdoor living space is a must this spring. Let Laura Ashley make those tedious gardening tasks more delightful with tools and accessories that are both functional and fashionable. The classic Cressida Wellingtons and coordinating tote and toolset are part of a newly designed garden collection developed by women to suit women's shapes.

In honor of the upcoming union of William and Kate, we're paying tribute to our British roots with design inspiration of royal style. Flying the flag is not only a hailed British tradition but also a popular trend in contemporary home décor being celebrated stateside. To create your own Union Jack, first select your canvas of choice - a door, chest or old trunk works nicely.

Go bold but feminine in this zip-front cardigan with delicate, ruffled, shutter pleats. The rich colour pairs nicely with your go-to black, navy and charcoal slim-fit pants. For a more luscious look, mix it with warm mochas or new greens.

We're saying goodbye to the winter blues and hello to rosier days by introducing a little honeysuckle into our seasonal looks. Deemed the colour of the year, honeysuckle pays homage to its sweetly scented namesake plant in gorgeous hues of vibrant pink as seen in this Laura Ashley shawl collar cardigan. Available at www.bonton.com