Calico House is a bizarre shop. The front of the store and name suggests the sort of place frequented by avid seamstresses in the 19th Century, because hey, who uses calico anymore?
This shop was once a post office and then, later, a pet store and a number of failed ventures before it became Calico House. I'd say it has an edge over its predecessors because it's made the smart decision of diversifying from calico whilst keeping in-trend with the local homeware store vibe.
Hence we see rows of homeware products mixed in with calico handbags, pillows (hmmm, comfortable), throws, wall hangings etc. These homeware products are the standard fare of trendy Paddingtonesque plates, mugs and glasses covered in artistic, pretty images and of standard price for the area (i.e. on the side of expensive).
There's a serious sewing section and a "cutter" sitting behind a stall, ready to carve up your calico needs. I also saw a large cane basket, containing large disjointed scraps of old hessian bags (like the type you see holding potatoes) for $1. I had to stare at it for a few seconds and wonder who would need this.
Some questions are better left unanswered.
Despite my lack of understanding of the finer points of calico, the atmosphere was pretty cheery and the staff were nice. Sewing stores tend to draw snobby know-it-all-staff in my experience, so this is a big bonus for anyone wanting to buy calico and not deal with the mind games of a bitter seamstress. read more