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Member since 3/19/05
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Posted on: 7/16/14 3:11 PM ET
I have sewn Liberty Fabrics on several occasions and know their superb quality. It's something you have to experience but in a nutshell this is a cotton that feels more like silk and is such a treat to sew. It is quite expensive but I have never regretted buying and am sure others who have used this fabric will feel the same.

So imagine my surprise to find an identical print to one of theirs at my local fabric store at a much lower price and promoted as "buy 1 get 2"!!

This fabric is most definitely not Liberty quality and somewhere in the busy print there has to be a small difference as I imagine Liberty trade marks their pattern/fabrics?

Of course I bought the 3 yards and have made a blouse!! But am wondering - how does this happen? Has anyone else come across this with any other trademarked fabric?
  
Member since 5/2/09
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Posted on: 7/17/14 1:38 AM ET
In reply to carolynw
I did see something like that with some ready to wear stuff in a "Liberty for Target, Target Department store promotion once. I think it was at least 3 or 4 years ago, that Target had some Liberty cotton girls and women's garments, just sort of like they had their "Missoni for Target" stuff and some other guest designers later. The "Liberty for Target" stuff was cute, and nice, but the cotton it was printed on, (when in between your fingers) was not or did not feel to me, to be the more expensive, normal Liberty cotton lawn at all.I think I would have still maybe called it cotton Lawn though, just less expensive cotton lawn. I can't remember if it was some time honored from decades "Liberty Prints" or maybe some new ones that just more "echoed" some of more general look of the old when that happened.

Some Liberty prints on the cotton lawn have been around for a very long time though. I kind of doubt they would give them or sell them a way.

There also is a lot of and has been for a very long time, some very nice cotton lawn (probably equal to the Liberty in feel) small flower prints made in Japan, that I have bought over the years in real brick and mortar stores too, but I never saw any of them, that actually tried to copy or use a real known Liberty print either.

I think a lot of fabric made in China now, and I would guess that yes, stuff might get copied that should not. Maybe actually send Liberty a piece of what you got, and tell them where you got it from, and even ask them about it, as maybe they would even like to know about it?

What did it say on the end of the bolt of it, or was it loose on a flat fold table?
  
Member since 1/6/03
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Posted on: 7/17/14 2:50 AM ET
I don't think Liberty lawn is woven in England any more, though some may still be printed there. I have some scraps from 40 years ago and they seem to have a different hand to the modern stuff. I would like to know where it is actually woven but it could be from a variety of factories in a variety of cheap labour countries.
Also what is a knock off and what is just another delicate print on a nice quality lawn?
  
Member since 5/30/13
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Posted on: 7/17/14 6:18 AM ET
I've seen some fabrics that were similar to Liberty designs in some lawn-ish fabrics here and there since Liberty lawn became generally well known. I wouldn't call them knock offs because they didn't claim to be genuine.

  
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Posted on: 7/17/14 10:03 AM ET
In reply to Addierecoy
That's right - no claim was laid to being Liberty Lawn no no claim - no shame. The print in question was also on an on-line fabric store at the same time - perhaps that is why I noticed it so quickly. Even asked my DH to verify that my eyes were seeing right.

Then went back to the store to check - and they had brought out another colour way of the same print which incidentally was also advertised at the on-line store. Nothing on the bolt end except 100% cotton - it's width in metric - and appropriate fabric care donated by a number code.

I agree that the new Liberty is not as luxurious as the old but still so nice and much nicer than what I bought at the brick and mortar store.

I do have a piece of it left (hard to use 3 yards for one short sleeved summer blouse!) . May try to send it to them for comment. If I do will let you know what happens.
  
Member since 5/2/09
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Posted on: 7/17/14 3:29 PM ET
In reply to carolynw
Go watch this u-tube. I think anyone can copy and does anything they want. But, if someone else actually had some of your real screens or something like that, used on something else, then maybe that's not a "copy" quite the same, in the same manner at that point either. I don't know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0BSWp9BnTE
  
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