Jean was born in Vancouver in 1960 moving to Calgary when she was five. Jean spent many hours playing outside winter and summer with her four brothers and two sisters. Jean always loved sewing, she remembers making bikinis and would slit the side seams of her jeans and add funky material, anything to change a garment. Always experimenting with her wardrobe seemed more interesting than school. Jean graduated in 1978 and immediately started working as a computer operator (not at all creative but it paid well) she still spent much time sewing and knitting always needing to do something creative, many hours you could find her in fabric stores admiring and purchasing fabric just for the colour.
In 1986 Jean and her husband Greg traveled to Europe for three months, the architecture was remarkable, as were the many mountains they skied, it was an unforgettable time. Returning to Vancouver to live Jean completed her diploma in fashion design. She started a hand knit sweater business, loved it, but for her there still seemed to be something missing. Jean wanted to experiment more with visual design. She lived near an art gallery district and was so inspired with the artwork she would see, just imagining that she could find her creative niche also.
In 1991 Jean and her husband moved to Qualicum Beach after their daughter Sarah was born, there she started selling real estate for the next several years until Dayne was born. The thing Jean enjoyed most was touring houses and seeing the style of the different homes.
Jean was always going to thrift stores; she would buy vintage fabric and stash it just because. While visiting an art gallery Jean saw her first hooked rug, she knew that it was something she was going to learn how to do. Jean didn't find anyone to teach her how to hook until she met Emily in 1997, Emily welcomed Jean into her home and showed her the basics, Emily then handed Jean a hook and sent her on her way… the rugs started piling up, there was wool in every room in the house. Friends started asking Jean if her work was for sale…and so began Jean Delaney Designs.
Jean now has a studio where she creates, displays and sells her work, and teaches classes. For Jean it couldn't get any better.
Shows Jean participates in:
Circle Craft at the Pan Pacific in Vancouver
Out of Hand at the Convention Center in Victoria
Magazine coverage - Canadian House and Home, August 2004, Style Files section
Log Home Living, March 2005, Show Case Section