Julie Antinucci loved all things sewing. Her husband and high school sweetheart, DJ, loved all things carpentry.
Obviously, that meant they needed to put their individual loves of cotton and wood together to make Cottonwood LLC, the shop that would become the Regional Winner for Maryland in the 2025 Local Quilt Shop.
DJ and Julie opened Cottonwood just a few months ago (October 2024) and have already made their mark on the Maryland quilting community.
When deciding to compete in the Local Quilt Shop Contest, Julie wanted to do more than just win in her region —
she wanted to show the world that Maryland was a quilting powerhouse.
Despite only being open four months, Julie showed the world that Maryland quilters mean business when she got enough votes to get Cottonwood ranked 11th internationally in the 2025 LQS Contest.
As this shop continues to grow, one can only guess what heights they’ll reach in future contests.
A Family Affair
Julie and DJ Antinucci have been dreaming about this store for a long time.
They grew up together and developed a passion for antiques and arts, often going antiquing or attending arts shows with DJ’s parents.
Julie became a quilter after becoming a stay-at-home mom in 2003.
Even with four kids to juggle, Julie and DJ make time to dive into their passions.
And now that they have Cottonwood, they get to make their passions their job!
Julie and DJ are at the shop almost every day.
Jenn McCaskey, Julie’s best friend, also works at the shop, and eats, breathes, and sleeps Cottonwood.
Julie and DJ say they couldn’t run the shop without her.
Rebecca, Amy, and Kelsea round out the hours and make running the shop smooth.
Friends and family also come into the shop quite regularly to help, including their other best friend, Linda Sutterfield. Some family took some time to write in to share exactly what makes Cottonwood so “cool”:
“My parents worked really hard to get this store going. It’s pretty cool to see people coming to their shop to buy things like my dad’s antiques and my mom’s quilt stuff” — Joey
“They have the best selection of fabrics. And my mom works there!” — Eric
“My mom loves working and shopping there!” — Alex
“My mom works here with her best friend who owns it. Its is SO awesome! I love that there are so many cool things in the store to look at. I even sometimes go there to see my friends and work on art projects. Cottonwood is the best!” — David
In the short time that Cottonwood LLC has been open, creatives (and their kids) have found a gathering space full of friendly faces and unique items.
A Feast for the Eyes
Cottonwood is known for its bright and cheery fabrics, art supplies, silk screen supplies, collage art materials, antiques and vintage items large and small, yarn, DMC floss, patterns, gifts, and so much more.
In their “warehouse” section, sewists can donate fabric and other supplies to be resold.
What a great way to reduce clutter and keep beautiful fabric out of a landfill!
In addition to their quilting supplies, Cottonwood also sells antique and vintage quilts.
With over 300 quilts in their collection, there’s certain to be one to catch your eye or inspire your next project.
Historic Severna Park
Located less than 15 minutes from Annapolis, the Naval Academy, and Chesapeake Bay, Severna Park is rich with early American history.
The community sits on the famous Severn River, connecting to the Bay.
The town has many delicious food options like Cafe Mezzanotte, Brian Boru, and Romilo’s.
Cottonwood visitors do not even have to leave their building to find a wide variety of restaurants and local shops.
And with their beautiful collection of antiques, you can get a full historic visit simply by walking in their door.
Want to learn more?
