Liberty embraces sewing boom with craft classes as it expands fabrics section

London store also plans bigger haberdashery area, where it will hold autumn workshops for crafters

Liberty has more than doubled the size of its fabrics department as it prepares to embrace the social media interest in sewing by hosting crafting classes this autumn.

Fabric sales rose 11% last year at the central London department store, which opened near Oxford Circus in 1924, and Liberty is expecting a similar pace of growth this year as crafters are joined by wealthy overseas shoppers who stock up on luxury fabrics to be tailored into bespoke outfits in their home countries.