Happy 25th Anniversary
Flair with Fabrics is celebrating their 25th year in business on Tues., Aug. 7. Ruth Liscumb opened shop this week in 1993 originally on Industrial Drive and has moved twice since to the current location on King St. Liscumb’s shop now primarily focuses on quilting. There will be a celebration on Tuesday day for clients, employees and members of the public featuring cake and donuts.      Moore photo

Jeff Moore
Record Staff
CHESTERVILLE — Twenty-five years ago, Ruth Liscumb left her job at Biccum and McIntosh an insurance broker in Winchester to follow her heart and open up a material and fabric shop in Chesterville. Well Biccum and McIntosh is long gone after selling to the Brister Group but the shop Liscumb opened up is still here and operating 25 years later.

When you walk in you are always welcomed with a smile and Liscumb can make you feel very comfortable with her bubbly personality. When asked why she quit her job to start up a fabrics company Liscumb commented, “well duh – I was raised with it, my mom was always doing something like knitting or quilting and patch work.”

In 1993, Liscumb opened her shop beside Curran Flooring Centre in a little corner of the building which she rented from the Cotnams. Initially her shop was for yarns and crafts and she actually began to teach some craft classes.

When word caught on she had to expand her classes to between 20-25 people and moved her classes to the Chesterville Public School which she ran for five years.

Liscumb decided to move into a more central location so she moved to the Fulton Block across the street from Louis Restaurant in 1995 where she remained for nine years. The shop began to grow and she moved her shop across the street to her current location on King St. where she mainly focused on quilting.

Liscumb says her customers come from far away to do business with her including quilters from California, Florida and a lot from Montreal. There are only two quilting shops located in Montreal so her shop is only two hours away.

A lot of her customers come to the store not knowing the name of something but when they describe what they want she knows exactly what they are looking for and she has it in stock 98 per cent of the time. She says there is a dictionary she could have made with the names people were calling the items like “do hickey” and the “thing a ma bob.”

Liscumb also has a very busy home life with her husband of 49 years, Glen along with three children, eight grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and two more on the way.

Most of her clientele come to her shop for one brand of quilting, which is Northcot and she carries whole lines of material and kits. Northcot’s head office is located in Vaughn and they are an industry leader in printed cotton. The shop also carries the silk brand Banyan Batiks from Indonesia.

Liscumb also belongs to the Upper Canada Quilt Guild which has 80 members. 80 members according to Liscumb is a small club since some have as many as 300 quilters.

Liscumb employs three workers who are very knowledgeable of the lines and accessories the shop carries. A former employee, Anja Berrends will be hosting a quilt show in Hallville on the weekend of Oct. 13 and 14, where Liscumb will be selling some of her quilts.

Liscumb wanted to mention her longtime employee of 23 years Pauline Flegg who shared the same drive and desire in the business. Flair with Fabrics will be celebrating their 25th anniversary on Tues., Aug. 7 with a lot of promotions and free draws along with cake and donuts. The celebration will go until Sat., Aug. 11. Flair with Fabrics is a truly great Chesterville mainstay and neighbour.