Calico N' Cotton to Close After 21 Years in Business

When first opened in 1990, quilting was one of the most popular hobbies.

Debbie Booth, the original owner, chose one of the best locations in Ocean City—on Asbury Avenue between Seventh and Eighth streets—and the store has not moved since.

Not only were the summer months the store's busiest months, but the winter ones pulled in steady business. Women would travel to the store in groups to collect fabric and supplies or to take a class.

The bell on the door would ring with each familiar face entering and with new customers coming in to potentially get hooked on the hobby for the first time.

While their husbands strolled the Boardwalk with the kids or checked out Hot Rod weekend, the store would fill up and become a social experience for all who entered. Now, after 21 years in business, Calico N' Cotton will say goodbye.

It was the decision of the current owner Holly Flanders, who bought the store in 1997 from Bea Minor, who owned it from 1995 to 1996. According to Minor, the main reason the shop has been in decline is the recession.

Customers have gone from purchasing what they want, to purchasing what they need, as with many other items. Instead of buying new, they would use up all the fabric they had stored over the years—or with they would purchase cheaper fabric online and have it sent to their door. Class sizes began to dwindle as how-to videos popped up on the Internet.

But even through the decline, the store stayed true to its roots, offering small-town quality service and care, a helpful hand and a listening ear.

“We have always been a charming, country shop, and this block is the best block to be on," Minor said. "Every (fabric) store has fabrics to fit the area. If you go south, you will find Civil War fabric, if you go out west, you will see more Asian patterns. Every shop is unique in that way. If we had a line, people didn't mind waiting. They would talk to each other and happily wait.”

The staff and customers of Calico N' Cotton will leave Ocean City in October, unless the shop is purchased. In the meantime, the store's website is advertising markdowns. And as for the store's beloved window mascot Arthur? Well, his fate is yet to be determined.

For serious inquiries about the purchase of Calico N' Cotton, call 609-399-7166.