About Us
Asheville Cotton Co. opened in 1997 as a tiny fabric store with a big dream. Shortly after opening, owners Chip and Robin Culbertson began selling and servicing Bernina and Baby Lock sewing machines. They've expanded into Janome machines over recent years as well. With the help of a super friendly, knowledgeable and talented staff, the shop now boasts more than 10,000 bolts of quilting cotton, representing more than twenty major brands. Asheville Cotton Co. also offers a variety of classes, bringing in both local and national teachers.
Awards
- Bernina District O Dealer of the Year 2011
Our district is comprised of North Carolina, most of Tennessee, a large portion of Virginia, and West Virginia.
- Benartex Fabrics Customer of the Year 2010
- Benartex Fabrics Customer of the Year 2011
- Benartex Fabrics Customer of the Year 2012
- Benartex Fabrics Customer of the Year 2014
- Benartex Fabrics Customer of the Year 2015
- Benartex Fabrics Sales Award 2016 - First Place
- Benartex Fabrics Sales Award 2017 - Fifth Place
- Benartex Fabrics Sales Award 2018 - Third Place
- Benartex Fabrics Sales Award 2019 - Fifth Place
Robin Culbertson
Robin not only loves to sew, but she loves to help other people in their sewing adventures. She especially loves helping customer pick out new sewing machines to match their needs.
Robin enjoys sewing early in the morning before work, and she has made a lot of the quilt samples in the store. She also likes to work on the website and designs quilt patterns and the $5 Quilt Club patterns every month.
She's a good troubleshooter when a machine is having "issues," and as the serger instructor, she's quite familiar with overlock machines, too.
In her spare time, she loves to camp in one of her vintage Shasta trailers with her husband and grandson. She also likes to hang out on her family's farm, where she forages for wild foods.
Robin enjoys sewing early in the morning before work, and she has made a lot of the quilt samples in the store. She also likes to work on the website and designs quilt patterns and the $5 Quilt Club patterns every month.
She's a good troubleshooter when a machine is having "issues," and as the serger instructor, she's quite familiar with overlock machines, too.
In her spare time, she loves to camp in one of her vintage Shasta trailers with her husband and grandson. She also likes to hang out on her family's farm, where she forages for wild foods.
Chip Culbertson
Chip is our head Sewing Machine Service Technician. He has sixteen years of experience and lots of training. He can really make a sewing machine purr!
Chip is also the guy who keeps the business going by paying all the bills.
When he's not working, you can find him hiking (one summer he completed hiking the entire Swannanoa Valley Rim), working out or running, cooking a gourmet meal, tailgating at an Appalachian State University football game, or watching a NASCAR race.
Chip is also the guy who keeps the business going by paying all the bills.
When he's not working, you can find him hiking (one summer he completed hiking the entire Swannanoa Valley Rim), working out or running, cooking a gourmet meal, tailgating at an Appalachian State University football game, or watching a NASCAR race.
Alice Drue Culbertson
You can call her Alice, you can call her Drue. We call her Drue. Either way, she's very helpful when you want to pick out a quilt, and won't stop looking for the perfect fabric until it's... perfect! We often joke about her being the Purple Queen because she loves the color purple.
Drue's also a good machine troubleshooter, and she has mastered "quilt math," so she's a good one to ask when you're unsure of yardage amounts.
When she's not working, Drue is a mom to an awesome eight-year-old, and Chip and Robin's daughter. She absolutely loves animals, and has two horses (Shadow and Vanity), two cats (Janelle and Luna), and two dogs (Nancy and Dixie). She also has volunteered for multiple animal Rescues between McDowell and Buncombe county.
Drue's also a good machine troubleshooter, and she has mastered "quilt math," so she's a good one to ask when you're unsure of yardage amounts.
When she's not working, Drue is a mom to an awesome eight-year-old, and Chip and Robin's daughter. She absolutely loves animals, and has two horses (Shadow and Vanity), two cats (Janelle and Luna), and two dogs (Nancy and Dixie). She also has volunteered for multiple animal Rescues between McDowell and Buncombe county.
Bethany Marler
Bethany started working with us in March of 2015. She has been coming to the store with her mother Janet for the last 13 years to help teach Beginning Quilting.
Bethany loves to help people pick out sewing machines, and she's great with picking out quilts for customers. She can do "quilt math" with ease. She loves to embroider.
She has a cat named Scarlet, and loves Disney, reading, and naps when she is not sewing or working.
Bethany loves to help people pick out sewing machines, and she's great with picking out quilts for customers. She can do "quilt math" with ease. She loves to embroider.
She has a cat named Scarlet, and loves Disney, reading, and naps when she is not sewing or working.
Sydney Faulkner
Sydney has worked at Asheville Cotton Co since September 2016, and wants to be the master of many! If you have questions about machine embroidery, machine binding, Sashiko, Berninas, and more, she's your girl!
Sydney is also a wiz at "quilt math," so she can calculate yardages for customers in a snap. She's great with color as well, and loves to help pick out perfect pairings for projects!
She has a cat named Nessie, and loves sci-fi, and anything crafty she can get her hands on.
Sydney is also a wiz at "quilt math," so she can calculate yardages for customers in a snap. She's great with color as well, and loves to help pick out perfect pairings for projects!
She has a cat named Nessie, and loves sci-fi, and anything crafty she can get her hands on.
Isabel Ribley
Isabel is our newest team member in 2021, and she is already a superstar in the shop, picking up on fabric pairings and quilt math right away!
Isabel has been friends with Drue and known the Culbertsons for about 13 years, so no wonder she fits right in!
She has a cat named Storm, and loves anything and everything in and about nature.
Isabel has been friends with Drue and known the Culbertsons for about 13 years, so no wonder she fits right in!
She has a cat named Storm, and loves anything and everything in and about nature.