
What is Liberty of London and why is it famous in the quilting world? Liberty of London is a historic and inspiring department store in London’s West End shopping district. The iconic Tudor-Revival store front is a London landmark and the architecture inside is equally enchanting. This department and is full of charming housewares, swanky clothing, and their world famous Tana Lawns and floral fabric designs and prints.


One of the places I’m always most excited to visit when I go to London is the iconic Liberty of London store, and our most recent trip to London was no exception. This department store is literally one-of-a-kind. The Liberty store front is located on Great Marlborough Street in the heart of one of the trendiest and poshest shopping district in London, just off Regent Street and nearby Oxford Circus.
Why is Liberty of London so famous?
In addition to it’s iconic Tudor Revival building architecture, Liberty of London is famous for its unique and recognizable designs, high-quality materials, and rich history. Liberty specializes in luxury printed fabrics as we’ll talk about more below.






The first thing to greet you when you arrive at the front doors of Liberty is a gorgeous assortment of fresh flowers and plants.
I first discovered Liberty when I lived in London as a college student in the early 1990’s. Back then I’d go check out the fashion and the couture wedding gowns (which they don’t carry any more). Little did I know back then, coming back in the future would be all about the fabric!


Liberty was founded by Arthur Lasenby Liberty in 1875. Inspired by the beauty and quality of oriental fabrics and textiles, which he wanted to make available to Londoners. His vision was to create a luxury emporium full of exotic and beautiful home goods.




The current Liberty of London shop was built in 1924, during the post-World War I era, using timber reclaimed from two Royal Navy ships. Designed in the Tudor-revival style, the building was intended to reflect traditional British craftsmanship, aligning with Liberty’s dedication to quality, heritage, and influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement started by William Morris.
Arthur Liberty envisioned a store that felt like a home, with small, intimate rooms and fireplaces, where customers could explore eclectic textiles, decorative arts, and fashion in a cozy, inspiring environment.




And that tradition continues today. The charming architectural details throughout the store are worth exploring alone. Not only is it full of pretty stuff to see and buy, but the building itself is worth a look.


The interior has so much character and beautiful detail including intricately carved panels and pillars throughout the store.
The details of the interior including the carved wood and the leaded glass definitely add to the ambiance. I loved the beautiful memorial to the staff members who were killed in “The Great War” (World War 1).
Liberty carries on the tradition today as a department store stocked with a carefully curated collection of a variety of beautiful items from fashion, to gifts, stationary, dishware, accessories, and jewelry.






They often feature collections that are collaborations with other designers, such as this one with French illustrative and water color artist, Marin Margut. (You can see more of the Marin Margut shop in Paris here.)


Today, the store offers a wide range of products, including clothing, accessories, home decor, and beauty products, all of which reflect the company’s commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and creativity.
Liberty of London Fabrics – why are they famous?
Liberty of London quickly became known for its unique fabrics and designs, which were often inspired by nature, and soon gained a reputation as a trendsetter in the fashion industry. Inspired originally by the colorful silks and prints imported from the far East, Liberty teamed up with nineteenth century designers like William Morris to create in-house collections to sell in their departments stores.
Liberty fabrics have been used in fashion, home decor, and even for bookbinding and other crafts. The brand has collaborated with many high-end designers like Stella McCartney, as well as limited edition collections for brands like Adidas and J. Crew. The Liberty look has also inspired countless imitations and knockoffs over the decades.


Liberty design and style is now most famous for their Tana Lawn™ fabrics which they have been producing since the early 1930s. Liberty Tana Lawns are made from ultra-soft cotton, creating fabric that is almost silk-like. The cotton is ultra light-weight, making it lovely for garment sewing, but still works for quilting, with super-soft drape. In other words, the luxurious feel of silk with the ease and durability of cotton.


The most classic Liberty of London fabrics feature intricate floral and paisley designs, often with a distinctly vintage or Victorian feel, and are renowned for their soft, silky texture and vibrant colors.


The reason Liberty prints are so iconic is they’re timeless– they never go out of style.
Quilters have been using Liberty Lawns for decades. The softness and drape of these quilts is amazing, but quilting with the ultra-lightweight fabric does require some different techniques. You can read more Tips for Quilting with Tana Lawns here.
The cost of Tana Lawns is a lot higher than the cost of quilting cottons, but you can put those precious scraps to work in small projects like this pin cushion tutorial.


Introduction of Liberty Quilting Cottons
In 2017, Liberty of London began producing quilting cottons with the launch of their Lasenby Cotton range, named after founder Arthur Lasenby Liberty. Unlike their signature Tana Lawn™, Lasenby Cotton is slightly heavier and more stable, and therefore, ideal for quilting.




These cotton prints are available at much more typical cotton yardage prices. I especially love the Emily Belle basics used in the color wheel quilt on the left.
You can see some of the quilts I’ve made using Liberty quilter’s cotton including the Quarter Star quilt, Union Jacks and Super-Sized Union Jacks and this Sentimental Stars Christmas quilt.






The variety of quilting cottons in stock at the store itself, was not huge, but you can find Liberty of London quilting cottons available widely in shops throughout the US including the Fat Quarter Shop online.
What’s available for Quilters at Liberty of London?
The Liberty of London store has a large haberdashery section (haberdashery is British for: sewing notions and accessories.) There are bolts and bolts of Tana Lawns as well as pre-made bundles of smaller pieces including: fat quarters and pre-cut squares and hexagons. (These are a nice option because the minimum cut off the bolt at Liberty itself is 1 meter which is typically more than we need as quilters.)




There are also lots of notions like pin cushions, embroidery hoops and storage containers covered in traditional Liberty Lawn prints:




On my most recent visit I discovered some beautiful quilt and project kits curated by British textile artist, Alice Caroline including a fantastic Liberty storefront wall hanging quilt.




Also popular in the haberdashery section were crochet and needlework patterns and projects.






I frequently have people write and ask if they should plan to stock up on fabric while they’re at the flagship Liberty store. And my answer for them is what I do myself: I don’t. Technically, buying Liberty fabrics at the shop is not necessarily a money saver. Between VAT and exchange rates, etc., you can get Liberty fabrics in the US for about the same price you’d pay in the UK.
Fabric costs are typically much higher in Europe. And since I like to travel light, I also don’t buy fabric in Europe because of the fact that I would then have to haul around and take up precious suitcase space. (Also, I want to keep that precious cargo space for things I can’t buy at home in the US like British Sweeties. 😉)




If you do want to bring some Liberty Lawn home as a souvenir, I’d recommend one of the precut bundles, laser cut packets of squares or hexagons, or other premade notions like a pincushion or zipper pouch.
Another option for buying Liberty Lawns in London is Shaukat Fabrics in South Kensington. It’s been a while since I’ve been, but last time I went they would cut ½ meter cuts and at one point they even had a Liberty scrap bin you could buy from.


Overall, Liberty of London fabric has become synonymous with high-quality, unique, and beautiful textiles that have a timeless appeal. Its reputation for excellence has only grown over the years, making it one of the most highly regarded textile brands in the world.
Where to find Liberty of London fabrics in the US
If you are looking to buy Liberty Tana Lawns, here are a few shops in the US where you won’t need to pay overseas shipping: Morris Textiles and DuckaDilly Fabrics.
Because of the quality of the fabric, the price of Tana Lawns is not for the faint of heart. They are definitely pricier than regular quilting cottons. As a result, scrappy, pre-cut bundles are a great way to go. DuckDilly sells small bundles, precuts, and laser-cut shapes for EPP or applique.


They have a variety of choices in different shapes, sizes, and colorways to give you lots of options.
If you’re in Australia check out Amite Textiles. They even have a bi-monthly Liberty subscription club – a great way to gradually build a stash of Liberty Lawns.
If you’re looking for more Liberty inspiration, I have a pin-board of Liberty Inspiration for ideas to play with my Liberty scraps.
Follow Amy Smart’s board Liberty of London on Pinterest.
Recommended Resources on Liberty of London
Here are two of my favorite books on the history and archives of Liberty. They’re gorgeous hardcover books that also make great gallery-worthy coffee-table books.






So there’s a brief introduction to the history and lore of Liberty of London as well as their inspiring landmark store near Regent Street! If you ever visit London, add it to your list of sights.






For more favorite sites and fabric inspiration in London, go here!
