Liberty
For the ultimate fabric shopping experience, head to Liberty and swoon over the lovely Liberty print cotton in this stunning department store. Look out for the special collection of fabric created for the V&A Quilts exhibition which is sold by the metre, as well as in smaller pieces just for patchworking which are charmingly known as fat quarters!

The Cloth Shop
The Cloth Shop is a Notting Hill fabric boutique and a rabbit warren of beautiful cloth. Check out the back room which is full of yummy designer remnants and Savile Row leftovers.

The Cloth House
The area round Berwick Street is home to lots of fabric shops, including the two shops which make up The Cloth House. One shop offers basics like cottons, suiting and ticking, the other sells luxuries – velvets, jersey and embellished fabric. You’ll also love nearby Boroviks, The Berwick Street Cloth Shop and Soho Silks which are great if you’re making something for a special occasion.

Creative Quilting
If you’re off to see the tapestries at Hampton Court Palace and the textiles at The Royal School of Needlework, you’re just round the corner from Creative Quilting who stock over 1,000 different quilting fabrics, including festive fabrics for special occasions.

Tikki Patchwork
Tikki Patchwork is stuffed with colourful fabric that’s perfect for patchworking and making pretty gifts. Tikki Patchwork is close to Kew Gardens and they’ve clearly been inspired by the exotic flowers and the beauty of nature when choosing their lovely cotton prints.

M Rosenberg & Son
OK, this isn’t a shop, but once a month, M Rosenberg & Son take over Hays Village Hall in Bromley and fill it with huge rolls of lovely fabric. As well as the basics, you’ll find astonishing bold Italian print cottons and other unusual stuff that isn’t on their website. A family business, M Rosenberg & Son have been selling fabric since 1946 and it’s now the son and grandson! www.mrosenbergandson.com

MacCulloch & Wallis
The ultimate haberdashery, MacCulloch & Wallis have three floors stocking everything you need to whip up the perfect couture outfit – the thread, fabric, zips and trim. You can even pick up a hat block and sinamay in every colour of the rainbow to make a matching hat.

Goldhawk Road
There’s loads of fabric shops in Goldhawk Road which sell all sorts of fabric from all over the world. One of our favourites is Classic Textiles which offers good quality silk, crepe de chine and suiting. A-One Fabric and the stalls in Shepherd’s Bush Market also stock a good range.

Cath Kidston
Did you know you can buy Cath Kidston fabric by the metre so you can make anything you like? We love the London street scene cotton fabric and the oil cloth in pretty spots and florals.

Joel & Son Fabrics
Joel & Son have an enormous shop near Edgware Road and have been selling everything from printed cottons to embroidered chiffon for over 30 years. If you can’t find it here, you’ll have to weave it yourself!

Did we miss out your favourite places to buy fabric in London?

We asked Katherine to tell us more about quilts in London:

What are you doing with Liberty this spring?
Liberty commissioned five new quilts from me for their exhibition Quilty Pleasures. They are also displaying the Action Man and Barbie quilts which I made 2007 after graduating. One of the quilts I’ve created is made from Liberty fabrics and clothing donated by the staff. The Liberty quilt will be auctioned on ebay to raise funds for the Variety Club charity.

Why did you start making quilts?
As a textile designer I’m concerned with our current throw-away culture. For me a quilt embodies the anti-throw-away. The sense of passed on skill and knowledge is a prominent aspect of my work and I run regular hand-sewing patchwork quilting workshops in London. I ask everyone to bring their own favorite textiles to work with and join in a discussion about the memories assosicated with these pieces.

Where are your favourite places to buy fabric in London?
I love to look in all the markets for bits of fabric. I also visit two textile recycling factories in London were I’ve built relationships that allow me to look through there, sorting piles for fabric off cuts or garments that will be suitable for my work.

What inspires you about London?
Finding new areas and new communities. When Bricolage had our pop-up shop in Brixton Market, I really enjoyed the vibrancy of the local community. Having many galleries and exhibitions on your door step is also an amazing source of research for a designer – I can’t wait to see the V&A Quilts!

The Quilty Pleasures exhibition at Liberty is only on until the 12 April, so get down there quick!