Patterns by Jeaneau was started in approximately 1970 by, Jeannette Partridge. Jeannette had been a quilter for quite some time before 1970. A friend of hers used to make baby quilts for a group of young married couples. Jeannette and her friend Marion Mangum made approximately 65 baby quilts in one year. They were always looking for new patterns to use in a quilt design. In 1970 Jeannette's youngest son (who was 15 at the time) was killed in a freak accident. To help her overcome her grief and get through this terrible period in her life, Marion convinced Jeannette she should put her whole heart and soul into designing quilt patterns. They worked together until they came up with a design they both liked, and then would market it, starting out with just 12 patterns. She bought some additional patterns from a lady who also designed quilt patterns, which she added to her Jeaneau line.Jeannette found that there were designs all around her which would make potential quilt patterns - in wallpaper, glass etching, doilies, bathroom tile, placemats, fabric, etc. Jeannette often found herself in a ladies room tracing the design on the floor, or on the wall. She kept these designs until she found a combination of similar designs, and then developed a new pattern.
In 1990 Jeannette retired from the quilt business and turned it over to her daughter Dianne Killpack, who ran the business until she sold it to Linda Laney in June of 2007.Dianne added a few new features to the business and expanded from mail-order to internet sales with the quilt patterns.She also started offering custom marked quilt tops, wide fabric, wall hanging kits, pencils, finished quilts, etc.
