Liberty’s Emporium Collection

Liberty Fabrics has launched its latest quilting collection, The Emporium Collection, inspired by the historic architecture and interiors of Liberty’s London flagship store. The collection’s eclectic mix of floral, paisley and geometric designs draw from ornately carved wooden details, hand-crafted tilework, and the flagship’s beautiful flower stall. Each design is traditionally screen printed onto Lasenby cotton – a base developed specifically for quilting. Liberty has created two free downloadable quilt patterns to celebrate the collection: the Tudor and Merchant Brights quilt designs.

The collection is available in three distinct colour stories to suit any interior. Each colour story reflects a different facet of the store: regal blue and mustard give a nod to the tiled interiors, while a multicolour story is inspired by the oriental rug room. Finally, a monochromatic colour story is balanced with soft pink highlights, paying homage to Liberty’s timbered exterior.

The Liberty building was designed by Edwin T. Hall and his son Edwin S. Hall. In 1922, the builders Messrs Higgs & Hill were given a lump sum of £198,000 to construct it, which they did from the timbers of two ancient 'three-decker' battleships. Records show more than 24,000 cubic feet of ships timbers were used including their decks now being the shop flooring: The HMS Impregnable - built from 3,040 100-year-old oaks from the New Forest - and the HMS Hindustan, which measured the length and height of the building. The 1920s was a time of Tudor revival, considered the most crafted and English of architecture, so the shop was engineered around three atriums.

Designed to feel like a home, each atrium was surrounded by smaller rooms, complete with fireplaces and furnishings. The building is now a heritage listed London icon.