A Little Liberty, A Lot of Heart: My Connection to an Iconic Fabric House

My Mom is the reason I sew. She nurtured my passion, beginning with making templates for me to practice stitching on. Looking back I'm amazed at how loving and patient she was. She helped me make doll clothes and other simple projects. I remember when I was around 12 she returned home from work to find me stitching the final top stitches on my shorts as I replaced the zipper. She was shocked and asked how I did it. They had been in her mending pile for weeks. I told her I just paid attention as I took the shorts apart and put the new zipper in the same way. I'll never forget her saying "Well, I guess you know more than I do now." That same year I remember attending my first sewing convention with her and as one of the only young girls there I got a lot of comments "How sweet you came with your Mom." She'd correct them and say "No, I came with her."

Me and my parents travelling in Oregon around 1997.

As I shifted into sewing my own clothes, she would search for shops and drive me hours to buy fabrics so I could make the perfect dress or outfit. She was so extremely patient when I, in a puddle of tears, would come to her for rescue after yet another pattern wound up short on fabric. And somehow, as if by magic, she would find the space among my cuts to fit the rest of the pattern. Her patience was most often evident as I rushed last minute to finish something that I needed just hours later. Sometimes she'd help with a hem as I curled my hair.

Mom helped me realize that when latest trends were un-affordable I could alter thrift store finds to make it. One of those projects was a large wool coat that I got for $5 and cut up and turned into an on-trend peacoat in the 90s. I never actually finished that coat. I had pinned the hem in a rush to have it ready for a dance and wore it that way for months before it was stolen from a coat-check. She was so shocked when she found out the company it was stolen from gave me $150 to replace it. We had a little on-going joke that we hoped whoever stole it got stabbed by the pins.

The look I'd get when she was about to say something funny.

When I moved away for college, she made sure I had a sewing machine to use. And after I got married she continued nurturing my hobby, looking up conventions for me to attend where I lived, and going shopping for fabrics with me when she visited.

Today is the anniversary of her death 11 years ago. She was 64, I was 36 when she passed away from cancer. That was a difficult time and I it became nearly impossible to sew. I've shared before how making a quilt in her honor helped me return to sewing. Later I designed Fade Away, one of my first quilt patterns in her Memory too.

Probably how I remember her the most.

When I was little she used to tell me about how distant cousins ran a fabric company in England and we should go someday. Let me preface this story with one important fact about my Mom. She loved genealogy and remembered names of ancestors generations past. So when she said "distant cousins" I would usually assume a VERY distant connection -- like 15th cousin, 3rd time removed, roll my eyes and move on. I completely took this information for granted and by the time I was older, I wasn't even positive I remembered the name of the company.

A few years into my quilting journey I tried to find answers or some connection but I was never able to confirm anything. In fact, I found an Arthur Liberty in the family tree, but not THE Arthur Lasenby Liberty so I convinced myself she might have mistaken the connection because of him.

Last year I made some napkins with Liberty of London fabric and posted about them on social media. Months later I saw a message from my Mom’s cousin that I had somehow missed saying “You know we’re related to Liberty somehow.” She explained that my Mom's Aunt had even visited the family, toured Liberty of London and been gifted some beautiful scarves.

Napkins I made last year from Liberty of London fabric.

Once again I researched my family tree and found nothing. Just the wrong Arthur Liberty. Again. But this time I didn't give up there. Instead I decided to research Liberty of London and Arthur Liberty's family. Since he'd had no children, I was still dubious there was any familial connection. Then I learned that his sister's name was Ada Liberty and it all clicked. The other Arthur was his Dad! Arthur Liberty’s sister Ada married my second great-uncle. Their son, Ivor Stewart-Liberty (my Great-Grandma’s cousin) was Director and later Chairman of Liberty of London. Eventually Ivor's son Arthur Stewart-Liberty took over for him. I will confess, I was so surprised to realize how close that "distant cousin" actually was!

My Mom with her Mom

I've always wanted to travel to England and Liberty of London was high on the list already! Someday I plan to honor my Mom by visiting there someday soon, even if it's not run by cousins anymore, I have such a big desire to fulfill my Mom's dream and visit there someday!

For now, I enjoy my Liberty of London art hanging in my quilting studio, reminding me of my Mom and her heart full of love and patience, our little inside jokes, and our mutual dream to visit this Iconic Fabric House.