As the name suggests,
Traditions Bedding by Pamela Kline brings the beauty of traditional American
quilts to the world of contemporary bedding. A mix of classic fabric patterns
gives these bedding collections that patchwork-quilt feel with a sense of modern
style you'll only find with Traditions by Pamela Kline bedding. See for yourself
with the eye-catching bedding collections by Traditions Bedding by Pamela Kline.
Duvets, duvet sets, comforters and comforter sets by Traditions Bedding by
Pamela Kline Bedding are available in Twin, Full, Queen, and King sizes. Use
decorator pillows to complete the bedding ensemble with decorative and European
Sham pillows from Traditions Bedding by Pamela Kline Bedding. Bring the
beautiful designs of Traditions Bedding by Pamela Kline Bedding collections to
your whole bedroom with matching draperies and window treatments. Curtains,
drapes and valances are available in matching designs and fabrics.
In 1973, Pam Kline was
an antiques dealer. Of all the objects she handled, Pam loved antique quilts
the best. Collectors shared her enthusiasm, and the quilts sold as fast as she
could find them. Success however, brought its own problems.
By the time the Museum of American Folk Art mounted
the first-ever exhibition of Amish quilts, genuine antiques had become extremely
scarce. The Amish, fortunately, never throw anything away, including scraps of
old fabric. For the Museum shop, Pam commissioned new quilts made from old
fabric by the Amish women, and Traditions was born.
Eventually, the old fabric scraps in Amish closets and sewing baskets were used
up, and demand for the quilts was growing ever faster. The fledgling business
was seriously at risk of not being able to fill those hard-earned orders. Pam
searched with no success for a renewable source of appropriate fabric.
Ironically, it was her doctor who provided Pam with an answer. His brother in
India was in the fabric business.
Samples soon arrived from the doctor's brother, and, unbelievably, they were
exactly what she needed.
Pam was so excited by her discoveries that she decided to
take a booth at the New York Gift Show. Just to demonstrate the versatility of
these antique homespun reproductions, she made up a few pieces of clothing--a
blouse, a jumper and two outfits for children. By the end of the show, she had
sold not a single yard of fabric, but had enough clothing orders to set her up
in the garment trade. Traditions clothing business continued for many years
out of a showroom on Seventh Avenue in New York.
As the clothing lines developed and the customer base grew and grew, Pam
remembered that, when she was living in Germany, they'd slept under down quilts
called duvets with pretty washable covers. Never one to rest on her laurels,
Pam decided to introduce a bedding line that could be made from the same
homespun fabrics that she was already using in her clothing collections.
Pam knew that most of the players in the linens business--Springmaid, Wamsutta,
Martex--were enormous and that she could never compete with them on price.
"I
decided that I'd make anything anyone wanted, offering custom design, high
quality and unsurpassed customer service." By the early 1990's the bed linens
division had overtaken the clothing division and eventually became the main
focus for the company.
In 1994, the future of Traditions once again followed a fortuitous course.
That summer, Pam's son Travis met a spirited girl called Shari Marder who,
having earned a degree in fine arts and sculpture at the University of the Arts
in Philadelphia, was working for a group of artists in Maine. When his mother
bemoaned the lack of available talent, Travis mentioned his new acquaintance,
and the rest is history.
Shari began as a salesperson and a swatch cutter and worked her way up through
order entry, credit manager, print catalog designer, National Sales Manager,
Vice-President, and finally, in 2003, to
President of Traditions by Pamela Kline. Along the
way, she and Travis married, and sons Gavin and Tait were born.
Traditions management today is the living example of the possibility of
impossibility. Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law
share an office and the responsibility for running the company. They spend
every day at facing desks in the company headquarters that now houses their
factory store, design studio, and executive offices. Pam and Shari speak of
each other with evident fondness and respect. "Shari has brought a new
viewpoint to the business," Pam explains. "We're more international,
sophisticated and diverse. And she has freed me up to spend more time
designing. I'm the detail person," Shari adds, "I do the operational
stuff. I design; she makes it work," Pam shoots back. "Sure," says Shari, "I
make the rules so Pam can break them!" They agree that having worked together
for several years before Shari and Travis married has made it possible to keep
their business and personal relationships separate and harmonious, but it doesn't hurt to have a sense of humor.
The trend that started with those Indian cottons, now includes a roster of over
300 richly detailed prints, Belgian Linen Sheets, luxurious Kashmina Blankets,
exquisite embroideries and Stonewashed Matelasse, Printed Sheet Sets and
Wholecloth Quilts all custom made to your specifications by a company who
stands firmly behind its products and is committed to supporting both it's local
and the global community.
From the company's modest beginnings, Traditions is proud to supply fine linen
boutiques and home accents stores, the interior design trade, along with the
Neiman Marcus and Horchow catalogs. Traditions products are available all over
the U.S. and in Canada, Europe, South America and Asia. Traditions operates a
freestanding outlet store in Manchester, VT, and their own factory outlet at the
company's headquarters in Claverack, NY. Despite all this activity, the
headquarters are inconspicuous, except on Thanksgiving and Memorial Day
weekends, when shoppers from near and far descend on the factory store for its
legendary annual clearance sales.
Traditions continues to evolve, facing each challenge with consistent principals
and maintaining the integrity of Pam Kline's philosophy. As we enter into new
partnerships and licensing agreements, as we delve into private label work, and
as we work to build and maintain our brand recognition in the marketplace, we
keep at the forefront a commitment to uphold Pam's standards of customer
service, custom design, and high quality. The future of Traditions begins with
our commitment to you.
