A little background here—Westminster Fibers teamed up with Liberty Art Fabrics to reproduce classic prints from the Liberty archives.   Kaffe added his magic to the deal by resizing the scale and colorizing each of the patterns.  The result is a grouping of 30 new Kaffe fabrics—primarily paisley with a hint of herringbones to provide some stylized textural relief. 

Fabric aficionados know the iconic Liberty of London (now Liberty Art Fabrics) brand.  Everybody else will soon join the design lovers club when Liberty prints get a big boost of mainstream exposure from Target.  (The Liberty home dec collection is expected to hit stores by mid-March!)

The Liberty store in London is a retail icon that was started by Arthur Lazenby in 1875 as an oriental import emporium.  Over the years the store collaborated with many influential artists and couture houses to create their own unique and eclectic brand.  Their products range from clothing to home furnishings, jewelry and scarves.  Oscar Wilde once described the store as “the chosen resort for the artistic shopper.”  (You get the picture.)

Fabric design still prevails, as does their fabric department which they call the Haberdashery. (How very British.)  This is a store within a store where they sell their classic prints, yarn, ribbons, buttons and rick-rack.  (Anybody up for a road trip?)

In the meantime I’m noodling around with ideas for using Kaffe’s new paisley prints.  There’s something about paisley that calls for a regal treatment.  The kidney shaped swirling design is reminiscent of a teardrop infused with color.  Its origin harkens back to Persia and India where they still weave golden threads through the prints and use them for formal occasions like weddings and funerals.

The name itself comes from Paisley Scotland which was once the hub of the weaving industry.  There they produced the classic paisley shawls popular in the late 1800s.  (Sounds like a side trip to me!) 

Oh reality intervenes—too far, too expensive, not enough frequent flyer miles.    

See you soon,

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Start your new Liberty collection now with our fat quarter bundle—30 fat quarters—one of each of the 10 new prints 3 color ways.  ON SALE in the shop and online.

Denyse Schmidt’s new fabric collection HOPE VALLEY has arrived!  We've got the full collection in the shop and available online.  

This collection was inspired by the can-do community attitude and the creative and homey economics of the depression era.  The warm and cozy hues take their cue from a vintage-tinged country landscape.  There are 8 new prints in three warm and inviting color ways—Fiesta (oranges and berry pink), Piney Woods (lush sage green with warm gold and brown) and New Day (grey tones with steely blues.) 

Everyone who’s been in and seen the fabrics says the same thing—these fabrics are perfect for making guy quilts!  We all know how hard it is to find fabrics that are gender neutral and these fit the bill nicely. 

We’ve also stocked up on Denyse’s new quilting patterns—including Cog + Wheel, The Proverbial Quilt, Stocking the Odds, Hills n Hollers and her popular Single Girl wedding ring inspired pattern. 

Fat Quarter Friday returns this week.  All fats are just $2.50 each!    

Brrrr--stay warm everybody and see you soon.

the q staff!

Those of you into scrapbooking may know Jenean Morrison from her happy flowery surface designs. Her fun and colorful designs have been licensed for use on giftwrap, stationary, rugs and partyware.  Thankfully, her whimsical style is also available on cotton fabrics thanks to Freespirit/Westminster.

Jenean is a painter and graphic designer who lives in Memphis with her new hubby.  She describes her creative style as “eclectic modern” because she infuses the classic modern design form with her own unique random twists and turns.  Samples of her work are posted to http://www.jeneanmorrison.net

We'll be posting more fabrics and patterns over the next few weeks.  Stay tuned...

See you soon…