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Calico is a cotton or cotton blend fabric with a long history and distinct meanings in the U.S. and U.K. The fabric was first made of cotton in Calicut (Kozhikode), India, and there it was block printed with intricate designs. In the U.S. the fabric evolved into a relatively inexpensive fabric with small machine-printed patterns, usually flowers.

In the U.K., calico is a plain weave cotton cloth, white or unbleached.

Uses: The printed calico used for dresses and quilts


Calico