March 2012
Website / Blog - Cambridge News
And finally, Jan Constantine has not let us down – her range of jubilee inspired cushions and bunting are absolutely gorgeous. I just couldn’t pick a favourite one so I am afraid you will have to visit the website and drool over the whole range for yourselves. www.janconstantine.com
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March 2012
Website / Blog - Red Magazine Online
The homeware designer, whose patriotic designs and bold motifs have become her signature, tells us her style essentials and hopes for this year.
Lancashire-born Jan Constantine comes from a family of needlewomen – her grandmother was a dressmaker and milliner and her mother worked as a tailor.
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March 2012
Website / Blog - Heart Home - Floral-inspired home accessories from Jan Constantine
I’ve long been an admirer of Jan Constantine ‘s beautiful hand-embroidered home accessories, so today I thought I’d feature a selection of her floral-inspired designs starting off with these lovely cushions.
From her ‘Country Garden Collection’ are these gorgeous tea cosies, which are directly inspired by her grandmother’s and great-aunt’s embroidery from the 1920s, 30s and 40s.
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February 2012
TV - This Morning - 5 Best Valentine's Inspired Accessories
Show your home a little love - by Alison Cork
I am a big fan of the old adage Home is where the heart is, so show yours a little love this Feburary 14th with my five of the best Valentine inspired accessories.
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February 2012
Website / Blog - gotta crush on my cushion
From Mummyinmanolos.com blog:
This may sound odd to some, but I’ve had a lot of love for cushions for a very long time now…such a simple idea…four pieces of fabric stuck together and filled with feathers…why such a big deal? Um…Jan Constantine…that’s why!! My idea of Heaven is to cram every corner of my house with one of her awe inspiring textile creations – I have three to date! I love them…they’re just so…British! And this year is perfect for them, almost every occassion is covered…
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February 2012
Cheshire Life Online - Interiors - Betley Designer Jan Constantine has grand designs on the Olympics and the Queens Jubilee
From article: I’d like to think I brought the British flag back,’ said Betley designer Jan Constantine. ‘A few years ago a certain party had it as their emblem. It made me so angry and frustrated that they were able to use it and give it all of those negative connotations.
‘So I came up with the idea of using the Union Jack in my designs. But I put the word “love” on them, or put a big heart in the middle of it. I did it so people could fly the flag proudly again and I think it worked.’
It’s a bold claim but also one that stacks up. Since Jan released her iconic Union Jack designs in 2006, the emblem can be spotted on interiors pieces in shops across the country. So when the opportunity arose to design special commemorative pieces to celebrate this year’s landmark events, it seemed like the perfect marriage.
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January 2012
Womens Weekly - Inside View with Jan Constantine
Interview with Jan Constantine in January 10th Womens Weekly.
January 2012
Staffordshire Life - To Have and To Hold
Wedding Feature showing Jan Constantine Je Taime Cushion as the perfect gift for the happy couple.
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December 2011
Website / Blog - Lovely use of the small Union Jack cushion!
After Harry Judd won Strictly Come dancing the McFly boys had to honour their promise to pose naked. Danny Jones made a nice choice of item to cover his modesty and chose Jans Small Union Jack Cushion!http://twitter.com/!/tommcfly
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December 2012
TV - Jan Constantines cushions on This Morning
Every day from now until 23rd December, a selection of our fabulous Festive cushions star on ITVs This Morning. Three of our popular hand embroidered festive designs feature as cushions on the shows famous sofas. So why not spare a few minutes to watch the programme and get a flavour of our Christmas range.
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November 2011
TV - Martin Lewis at Olympia London
Martin Lewis reported from Olympia London for the Lorraine show on Daybreak.
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November 2011
Website / Blog - Jan Constantine Cushion - Je taime - It must be love!
FrenchicandShabby.com
Love means the same in any language and I think that this gorgeous cushion from Jan Constantine shows how to say I love you in beautiful French style. I especially like the way that it has been appliqud and hand embroidered in cross stitch and blanket stitch. Cream with a red Je taime.
Who could resist a quality item made with love to give with love to receive with love!
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November 2011
Website / Blog - Introducing: For the Love of Hand Stitching with Jan Constantine
Stash Books Blog
I have been a fan of Jan Constantines work ever since I first saw her, now iconic, Love cushion a few years ago. Jan launched her hand-embroidery business in 2002 after leaving a successful career in fashion design to raise her two daughters in the Cheshire, UK countryside.
In just a few years, her business grew from a cottage industry, to an established brand.In all of her work, she captures a sense of graphic sophistication that kind of hits you over the head with its message. Whether it is patriotism, love, springtime or a day by the sea, Jan can turn an ethereal feeling into a tangible representation that combines fine handwork with bold artistry.
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November 2011
Website / Blog - Jan Constantine - London 2012 Olympic cushion designs!
We all love a bit of Jan Constantine here at CrossStitcher HQ. Remember when we featured her Rule Britannia cushion as an exclusive cross stitch chart last year? So, imagine how excited we were to see another new collection of cushions added to her beautiful repertoire. Manufactured under license, Jan´s just released a brand new London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Collection of cushions - and we think they´re stunning. (Love the neon colours Jan!) The full [Olympic] hand embroidered textile collection will include cushions, throws, wall hangings, tapestry kits, lavender hearts and zip up cases and are set to be released in stages over the next two years leading up to the event. We´ll definitely be keeping one eye open for those...
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November 2011
Website / Blog - Crewes Jan Constantine On Fashion
Life is coming full circle for Jan Constantine. She started out as a fashion designer before setting up her own business creating embroidered ´heirlooms of the future´ and now clothing increasingly features in her collections again. Her soft furnishings are in great demand both here and abroad and range from the eye-catching bright colours of her Love collection and Union Flags to the more delicate traditional embroidery of hearts and flowers. Sitting in her large farmhouse-style kitchen in Betley, near Crewe, Jan explained how it all started: ´I was a fashion designer in London for ten years and had a great career. But increasingly I craved green fields rather than the hustle and bustle of the capital.´ While visiting family in the North West, Jan and decorator husband, David, saw a house in Betley that was up for auction and bought it. ´We´d never done anything like that before,´ says Jan. ´It was a former doctor´s house and we just fell in love with it.´ They sold their house in London and although David moved to Cheshire straight away, Jan commuted to the capital for a further 18 months until she finally joined him with their daughters Mary Flora, ten, and Camille, 15. Once settled in Betley, Jan began an interior design business. ´But I really wanted to produce my own soft furnishings and create a collection of interiors using embroidery. So, six years ago I began by sitting around my kitchen table with friends, sewing lavender bags.´ Her creations were a big hit at trade exhibitions and soon her work was stocked by Liberty, Selfridges, Harrods and the Victoria and Albert Museum. She now employs four full-time staff and six part-time workers at her home-based workshop. ´It´s been very hard work but it´s all happening now. I have a website that has opened doors around the world. I´ve had a big order from New Zealand, I know there´s a market for me in America and in Europe too.´ Also helping to spread the word is a book written by Jan called Heirloom Embroidery, which is set to be published across the world. It shows how to make soft furnishings similar to her own products. Says Jan: ´I had never intended to write a book but the publisher, Jacqui Small, had seen some of my products in Liberty and came to see me at a show in London to ask me to write it. ´I had to prepare all the projects, try them out to make sure they worked. I did all the sketches and illustrations. It´s hard to write a book and still run your own business - I must have driven everyone insane!´ Fortunately, Jan was able to retreat to work at their holiday home in Port Isaac, Cornwall, which incidentally has been used by the makers of the Doc Martin television series as a set. So is she excited at the prospect of her first book? ´I am, although at the moment I am sick of the sight of it! It´s going to be published here and in America first and then across the rest of the world.´ If Jan´s flying the flag for traditional British embroidery, it´s hardly surprising that the Union Flag collection is one to throws, cushions to scarves, bags to bunting. ´I like the Union Flag because I´m proud to be British and I sell hundreds of them, especially in London,´ says Jan. Other themes in her work include traditional country garden scenes, mouth-watering strawberries, beautiful flowers, tiny bees, colourful butterflies and dragonflies, delicate hearts and striking nauticals. Her newest line is the Diamante Collection, inspired by the opulence and glamour she saw on a visit to Venice earlier this year. It features cushions and throws handstitched with diamantes and silver thread embroidery onto luxurious cream or black velvet. So where does her inspiration come from? ´My favourite things - colours, emblems, words - and traditional embroidery,´ Jan answers, then adds: ´And the word Love, because that´s what it´s all about.´ Jan´s work can be seen at www.janconstantine.com and her team can be contacted on 01270 821194. Her book Heirloom Embroidery will be published by Jacqui Small and will be available in all good bookshops.
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November 2011
Website / Blog - New shop is a Brit special
A TEXTILE specialist has opened her first shop to showcase her patriotic collections.
Betley designer Jan Constantine yesterday cut the ribbon at the champagne launch of her cabin at the Trentham Estate shopping village.
As well as hand-embroidered homewares, Jan´s collection includes china, stationery, greeting cards and gift wrap, all with her iconic Union flag design.
She has also been commissioned to produce home textiles inspired by the London Olympics in 2012.
She said: "This is our first shop and hopefully the first of many more.
"We were contacted by the Trentham Estate and offered a site for our flagship store, so it sort of chose me in a way."
Jan first set up her self-entitled business 10 years ago and has been producing hand-made gifts ever since.
Originally from Lancashire, she trained at a Bolton Arts College and worked at the fashion house Shubette of London, working her way up from junior designer to head of design.
She said: "There has always been a lot of embroidery on my garments and the business has grown from there."
The shop has employed one full time assistant, and there may be a second member taken on soon.
Worker Joanne Tinsley, of Market Drayton, has helped Jan with the embroidery for eight years at the warehouse in Silverdale, Newcastle.
She said: "All the designs here are lovely, and I have a lot of the Diamante Collection at home.
"The Union flag and the heart design are central to Jan´s work and she really started that trend off."
Trentham Estate marketing manager Amanda Dawson said: "We are absolutely delighted to have this iconic British brand here at Trentham.
"It is a well-known brand internationally from a local lady."
Jan is married to painter and decorator David and has two daughters, Camille, 19, at Lancaster University, and Mary, 13, who is at St Joseph´s School, Winsford.
She added: "We´re so happy to be opening our first store and we think the timing is perfect. It is especially great that the shop is here and not in London, because I want to bring a bit of the Olympic spirit to Staffordshire."
And customers seem just as excited.
Shopper Valarie Smalley, 71, travelled from Nottingham to shop at Trentham. She said: "The designs are great and the Union flag seems to be all the rage nowadays."
"It is still very tasteful though and I will definitely come back to buy something lovely.
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Autumn 2011
Website / Blog - William & Catherine Souvenirs by Jan Constantine
I am smitten with this hand embroidered Jan Constantine Royal Wedding cushion. It is embellished with the couple’s names in antique gold across a Union Flag heart. Don’t want a commemorative cushion? How about a mug…
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November 2011
Website / Blog - Housetohome.co.uk
New home accessories shop from Jan Constantine Olympic licensee home accessories designer Jan Constantine opens a new flagship shop to showcase her range of patriotic home designs London 2012 Olympics licensee home accessories designer Jan Constantine, famous for her hand-embroidered Union Jack cushions, has opened a new store in Trentham Gardens Shopping Village in Staffordshire in time for the Christmas gift shopping season
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November 2011
Stylist - The Style List - Going for gold. Celebrate the Olympics
Celebrate the Olympics with Jan Constantine
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November 2011
Stylist - Stylist.co.uk - This Weeks Style List
This weeks Style List with Stylist.co.uk
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Summer 2010
Cottage Style - Cottage Style Article
June 2010
Ireland´s Homes Interiors & Living - Homestyle
Rosy Lee - Vintage tea cosy from jan Constantine
May 2010
Daily Mail - Queen of Arts
Designer Jan Constantine´s bold hand embroidered textiles have proved a hit - we adore her Love, Peace and Union Jack cushions. This season, taking inspiration from Alice in Wonderland, she´s created a Deck of Cards Collection. Check out the new pieces, alongside her bunting, banners and china at the Spirit of Summer Fair from may 13-46 at London´s Olympia.
daily mail 10th May 2010
May 2010
Ideal Home - High Street Heroes - Jan Constantine
Get to know the woman whose bold, British designs are flying off the shelves of your favourite stores.
April 2010
Cross Stitcher - Inspired By..... Love Britannia
"This cushion is inspired by my love of my country and evokes feelings of patriotism from a bygone era. Traditionally we Brits only fly our flag for special events like a coronation or sporting event while Americans are proud to show off their tars and stripes any time and anywhere. So it´s high time for us to flaunt our flag and be proud of it too!"
Article in Cross Stitcher magazine showing Jans new Tapestry Kit Range.
Spring 2010
Cloth - Beautiful Book
Jan Constantine, who´s winning the hearts of people across the nation with her collection of patriotic home accessories, has just released a new book. It´s an exquisite collection of hand embroidery projects designed to appeal to beginners and established embroiders alike. Heirloom Embroidery is available now and will be loved by anyone with a sense of style.
Spring 2010
Gifts and Housewares - Trends: British
April 2010
Ideal Home - Get the Look
April 2010
Instyle Germany - London Accessories - Great Britain
April 2010
Ireland´s Homes Interiors & Living - Homestyle
All a Flutter - The Painted Lady Butterfly cushion from Jan Constantine. The intricate detail of this applique hand embroidered onto a wool cushion is striking.
March 2010
Good Homes - Butterflies
Go all a flutter for the prettiest trend in homewares this spring.
Jan Constantine velvet diamante cushion in cream / silver.
November 2009
Homes and Holidays - On your Markets...
...get set for great ideas at festive fairs.
Make a head start on that gift shopping with fun ideas and a fantastic day out at Christmas fairs all around the country.
Jan Constantine Cherub Cushion
August 2009
Concept For Living - American Dream
Thanks to Obama, plus a great graphic flag, America´s cool again. So take a trip Stateside with bold reds and striking stripes-inspired cushions and throws - no eight-hour flight required!
July 2009
Concept For Living - Englands Dreaming
Step inside designer Jan Constantine´s home and you find it is just as vibrant and inspiring as her work. The renovated Georgian country house in Cheshire is a caried mix of vintage French elegance and bright ´Proud to be British´ reds and blues.
June 2009
Country Living - Decorative Details
May 2009
Concept For Living -
April 2009
Daily Mail - Cool Britannia
Wave your Union jack flags with pride as Brit Chic storms the designer world.
British really is best, it seems. As fashion designers saluted the Union jack this season with sweaters, t-shirts and even shoes and bags emblazoned with our beloved flag (Agyness Deyn has been glued to her Union Jack Chanel Clutch), so the interiors world has followed suit with a witty Brit-inspired theme.
March 2009
Period House - At Home in......March
March 2009
Period House - Country Pursuits
March 2009
Period House - Pretty In Pink
March 2009
Aga Living - Best of British
March 2009
giftFocus Magazine - Flying the Flag & Beside the Sea
A wave of enthusiasm is washing over the nation for all things British, including a rising tide of nostalgia for the great British seaside.
Jan Constantine draws inspiration for her stunning collections of home accessories from traditional hand embroidery and all her favourite things. Her seaside collection was inspired by happy holidays spent by the sea in the little Cornish fisherman´s cottage belonging to the Constantine family. All the designs were sketched while watching the waves roll by.
December 2008
House Beautiful - Sprinkle Homespun Magic
Children will love this classic red and white theme, which uses felt and wooden decorations to add simple country style.
Snuggle up - Accessorise your sofa with tactile wool cushions and throws in bright berry red and snowy white.
December 2008
Ireland´s Homes Interiors & Living - Christmas 2008
