katherinemay-50, originally uploaded by katherine may textile design.

When embarking on the commission for Liberty I wanted to reflect the personal nature of my design practice, showing how I would approach a private commission. I asked the staff of Liberty to donate some clothing they felt represented their time in the store. Each garment donated was either bought at Liberty, worn in Liberty, or had a strong affiliation with the store. A wide assortment of items – from a floral print needle cord skirt, a floral wool scarf and printed jersey tops. Interestingly the textiles of the clothing reflected Liberty’s signature print designs and fabrics felt soft and feminine. It was also a joy to receive rare scraps of Liberty fabrics. As I emptied out the bag, I was aware that the quilt I would make from these fabrics, would be an archive of Liberty textiles.

As part of the project I was interviewed by Liberties online editor. Ruth came round whilst I was amidst the 5 quilts all at various stages of production – fabric hanging out to dry and pieces near completion, stretched out to be quilted. Ruth joined me on the floor were I was laying out the design for the charity quilt. We talked over my work and I showed her Action Man and Barbie quilt. It is always a joy to share these quilts, as often girls remember the clothes they used to have – Ruth was no exception and even remembered the name, Peaches and Cream. It was a dress that I had for my Barbie and Ruth remembering the name brought back memories that I had forgotten.

It was also a joy to learn the names from some of the fabrics, often named after an employee, one of my favourite fabrics was Scott's fur.

This quilt has gone on ebay for auction today. The amount from the winning bid will go to the Variety Club children’s charity.