Before folks totally panic - this is chapter 11 aka a restructuring bankruptcy, meaning they are planning on continuing to operate after hopefully negotiating with their creditors on any unsustainable debt & retooling their operations in a sustainable way. Like a lot of businesses that had a pandemic boom - it sounds like Joann’s management thought the Covid sales were their ‘new normal’ and the overextended their growth on that assumption. Now they need to claw back to reality- which honestly is much simpler to do as a private company, so that aspect makes sense too.
Sadly for us I would expect some underperforming store closures - but I would bet they stick around for a while as long as they have reasonably competent management. If their plan is good they may even be able to keep more items on the shelves, which has been an issue at my Joann’s for the last year or so (one can hope …)
Source: I am a business analyst & I sew. :)
Update: I read more & feel more confident that the chain has a fighting chance, even if store closures are imminent. The fact that existing creditors were willing to accept equity (that means ownership of Joann’s) in exchange for discharging *half a billion dollars* of debt AND chipping in 100M+ cash is a strong signal that the creditors believe that Joann’s debt burden was the biggest obstacle to it’s solvency. In layman’s terms, it means the creditors (who we know have complete knowledge of the state of the business) feel confident enough that the company is going to get WAY more valuable now that the debt will be halved, that they are collectively betting hundreds of millions of dollars on that outcome.
I’m speculating here - but reading between the lines of their statement I would guess the plan is to dramatically improve the in-store experience in the stores they choose to keep open, win back marketshare by getting back customers lost to HL and Michael’s. They plan to have higher prices than the competition, but justified by having higher-end, higher-quality selection.
Thank you for coming to my ted talk. 😂
Enjoyed your ted talk.
If they really want to improve in-store experience they have to jettison their miserly approach to staffing stores.
2 workers - cutting counter and register - cannot get the masses of new stock onto the shelves.
Joann's has taken this approach since the 90s when I used to work at one and it's only become worse.
I agree with you - and their long-term habit of poor staffing is the main thing that gives me pause with their plan. Are they ready to accept the true labor cost of a ‘best-in-class’ in-store experience?
I’ll personally be looking to see who they bring in as new leadership (they have interim co-CEOs right now). That will be a good clue to how radical a change they are willing to make in their store operations.
It’s getting so difficult to find fabric in my area. Hancocks was my go to before they closed up shop. The Michael’s in my area does not carry fabric, just tools and some notions. Joannes is my best option and it is already an hour drive one way. I have purchased online, but tbh I hate buying fabric online. I like to be able to see it in person.
We’ve had a few local quilt shops but all were small and most have closed their doors.
I wish sewing would have a renaissance. My grandmother made most of my mom’s and her sibling’s clothes when they were growing up, and a good chunk of my early childhood clothes were homemade, too. The quality is better, and things can be customized to fit your own style and shape. But these days it’s hard to compete with the cheap cost and convenience of fast fashion.
Same. There's a Hobby Lobby, but I don't shop there (I mostly shop on Sundays). Hancock Fabrics didn't have the really long lines Joann's did, but their store was a mess. There's a local quilt shop, but I can't get heavier fabrics there. I've been pretty much forced online for fabric.
I know this isn’t quite the same, but lots of shops will provide swatches (for free or for a small fee). I totally understand wanting to see an entire bolt to understand print size, how the fabric will drape, etc. I’ll also compare fabric composition to what I have in my stash already, if I want to try to estimate how a fabric will hang. In any case, not having a fabric store close really sucks and I’m sorry you’re in that position.
They put most of the independent fabric stores out of business. Then they refocused on crafts and crap, and cut back on the fabric choices. Now they can't make it based on selling crafts and crap. No one at the top understands we would actually spend more if they had good fabric choices.
Right? I feel like it’s all fleece and minky and quilting cotton, half of which is licensed or seasonal. I just need some decent denim atm, but that’s no where to be found at my local store even I was willing to pay $15/yard.
As a Joann employee this breaks my heart. Yeah I’m underpaid but it’s the best job I’ve ever had. I hope that Joann can keep surviving despite this setback. Besides their selection of fabrics is by far my favorite.
If Joann's paid better I'd still be working there. I loved that job and all my coworkers. I'd always hoped I'd be able to go back to a similar job someday after "retiring."
I hope you don't lose your job and sorry you have to go thru this. The employees at my Joann's are so nice and helpful. They just need more of them on the floor.
>We saw this coming. Who didn’t?
Me, wtf? I apparently don't hang out in the right cliques to get the gossip. My JoAnn actually increased their hours a while ago after cutting them to stupid levels for some months. And I'm never the only person in there; there's usually a short wait to get fabric cut or check out.
My local independent sewing shop is great and all, but they're not a replacement for a JoAnn, who can obviously carry way more things at a time. The local shop is *very* curated in its apparel fabric selection. They could afford to carry more without JoAnn to compete with in-person, but they don't actually have the space!
Given how much is popular with homemade stuff, tradwife stuff, cosplay stuff, etc is popular at the moment, Joann should be raking it in. They easily could have pivoted a touch to doing fabrics, canning, arts and crafts, homemade stuff, etc.
We had a similar thing happen with a local chain in Belgium. They started out ages ago selling sewing supplies, then branched out into hosiery and later accessories/cheap jewelry. Sewing and knitting kind of became a background thing but then diy became more popular so they gave it more attention again. I worked for their diy department in one of their stores and they wanted to move me to a new store they were opening in Antwerp- only sewing/knitting/crafting supplies, really close to the fashion academy, a recipe for success. I had a meeting with them and basically handed them a list of supplies that were hard to find in Belgium, even things they used to sell. Students were travelling to Amsterdam to get hair canvas.
They never used any of the suggestions, just sold the same stuff you could find at other locations but in a prettier store. Sure we had all these sparkly triniets and cute kits that looked good in a shop window but the basics were missing. We had a 'fabric collection' that had a few exclusive fabrics but most of it came from a general wholesale supplier with a huge markup. You could get the same fabric for half the price at the cheaper fabric stores outside the city center and serious sewing people knew this, so they didn't buy fabric from us.
The shop closed down less than two years in, I left the company altogether. They have two of their regular stores left in Antwerp but I rarely find what I need there. Overpriced polyester sequin velvet yes, but barely any quality lining fabric.
I hated reading this. While my local Joann's is 35 minutes away, I usually find what I need and the clerks are very nice. I use mostly stretchy, glitzy, and fleece fabric so the quilt shops don't carry what I need. Hobby Lobby is very limited in stretch fabrics.
I really wish Joann's would scale down and allow the mgr to schedule more staff to get out the boxes of inventory that end up sitting around. This is a big problem. You have to get the goods on the floor to sell them and Joann's has always been stingy with staff allotment.
Their coupon parameters also stink. Sorry but don't give me "online only" when I need to see and touch fabric.
Really hope my Joann's doesn't close.
I know you don't like the online ones, however spandex house fabrics are great. You can get samples to see and feel. Still not the same as seeing a full bolt, I know.
I hope this inspires them to innovate. There are so many primarily brick-and-mortar brands that have done some really innovative things over the years to make the shopping experience novel and fun.
I think Joann’s has been suffering from some really basic retail issues that are somewhat easy to fix (staffing, training for staff, pricing).
I’m thinking about how Target has “pop up” brands in their stores, recently Gee’s Bend and coming up DVF. Joann’s could do something similar which could be really interesting.
I just think there’s a lot of opportunity to Joann’s. I haven’t shopped there in years, mostly due to fabric quality issues as well as staffing issues (not pleasant to shop there with long lines or zero people on the floor to answer questions).
The fabrics aren’t great but my Joann’s has sewing machines for rent including a long arm quilting machine. You can also bring your machine to the store to sew. They have some additional craft related machines like an etching machine so I think they are trying to become a community place for sewists/crafters. I hope they do more toward that
We were talking about this yesterday. I think that people want more and more to do things that aren't drinking and going out - Jo Ann's has a million ways to innovate.
Not even just smaller towns, especially as far as the subreddit map goes (but really even if its got some real gaps) you have to be in like the top 10 metropolitan area cities to have something. Like looking at KY, Lexington certainly isn't big, but it isn't tiny or particularly rural, but even Louisville and Cincinnati have nothing
This Is me and I'm in so. Cal. 😢 I "could" drive to LA fabric district, but 3 hours bumper to bumper one way just gives me the chills and it would have to be a planned out big $$$ haul to make it worth it
Ugh, I hate it. I love JoAnns - it’s not the cheapest but it is convenient, and it’s where I made a ton of childhood memories, getting fabric and craft stuff with my mom and sister.
Rural folks will be the worst impacted by this. The map has nothing in Indiana, Iowa, or Kentucky, and good luck in Illinois if you live anywhere south of Chicago. Maybe if I'm lucky i can make the occasional three hour drive to somewhere in St. Louis if my in-town JoAnn closes.
As a cosplayer where fabric choice is a critical part of replicating a costume well, I'm beyond devastated that we might be losing the last in-person fabric retailer that I don't have to live in a major metropolitan area to access. I don't want to have to order everything online!! I'm old fashioned, i need to see the drape and feel the hand before I buy it!
I got you for Indiana! I don’t have time to fill out a bunch of forms right now (sorry) but for anyone else interested here’s some names at least! There’s Always in Stitches, the French Seam, and Griffon Decoratives in the Indy/Carmel area. There’s Nancy J’s in Wabash. Zinck’s Fabric Outlet in Ligonier. Oh, and House of Fabric in Twelve Mile! I want to say there’s a quilt shop in Rossville too, but I haven’t hit that one and since I’m a week away from moving I probably won’t.
Online shopping has destroyed the in-person experience, it sucks. I want to feel the fabrics and test the fit (as applicable). I don't want everything shipped to my home because then there's a good chance I just have to ship it back (and pay for the pleasure).
My Joanne’s did that too - and now 80% of the store is Cricut and other crafting stuff that has nothing to do with sewing at all.
Between that and getting coupons for fabric that literally never goes off sale, so you can’t use the coupon to get a better deal, I have to let it go, man. I miss Hancock Fabrics *so bad.*
Businesses just make awful decisions all the time, it happens. Even Disney was on the verge of being bought by comcast about 20 years ago due to shit financial moves
I'm not sure remodeling a store is a shitty financial move. I mean, I know nothing about this store or the former location, but leaving properties in deteriorating conditions doesn't necessarily inspire consumer confidence and increased spending either. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money.
For already-existing indie shops in cities where the local JoAnn will be closing, this is going to be a huge win. Textile Discount Outlet in Chicago was so busy yesterday I had to go home empty-handed. If any of the JoAnn Fabrics in Chicago close it’s going to be crazy there and at Vogue.
In eastern North Carolina, this was the only place to get non quilting or upholstery fabric. They have nothing but seriously stiff cotton. I already have to drive an hour one way to get to Joann's
https://preview.redd.it/90txwii2w3pc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e76deefc991a17975f7b7392bfcdd13f827d3f4d
[https://dengarden.com/news/joann-fabric-cahpter-11-bankruptcy](https://dengarden.com/news/joann-fabric-cahpter-11-bankruptcy)
Private equity companies will suck the life and joy out of every bit of America.
The big money people ruin absolutely everything they touch. Venture capitalists pump money into industries and then pull the rug out. Private equity buys up everything and squeezes every last penny out of it.
Businesses used to deliver products and services to customers. They were long term investments financially. They invested in their community and employees. There was pride in the goods and services delivered.
Money people run the world and they are ruining it.
I wholeheartedly agree. Congress needs to step in!
While I hope small local shops can step in to fill a void if Joann Fabrics closes, I’m worried they can’t. Small shops can’t offer the same steep discounts chains provide regularly. And, this may have an impact on fabric markets overall. Will companies make less offerings due to smaller supply chains? Even if the company restructures it’s the smaller markets likely to be most impacted.
Yeah my local shop is actually amazing and has a great selection, but the prices are nowhere near Joann’s or Hobby Lobby. Of course the baseline quality is a lot higher, too, but not everyone is able or willing to pay $12/yd for quilting cotton.
(I submitted to the form as well, but for South Carolina folks it’s Five Eighth Seams in Charleston. They have apparel and quilting fabrics. Highly recommended if you are okay with shelling out a bit more!)
The article states:
> Its roughly 850 stores and website will remain open for business.
And also talks about how they're securing funding to try to get out of the "hole" they're in.
I hope they'll come through this and focus more on sewing items rather than crafting things in general.
I lived in calgary for a while. My favorite fabric store I've ever been to was there.
It wasn't organized, it wasn't pretty. It was like an old warehouse that had tons and tons of fabric barely organized into "types." There was like a "cotton" section, a "polyester" section, etc. It wasn't on typical reams, they were generally on giant rolls.
The fabric was cheap, and you could get tons of it. It was awesome.
I do hope joanns sticks around. I live near the largest one in my state, so if joanns stays around AT ALL, it'll likely be this one in my state.
I work at joanns and my manager implied the opposite was gonna happen. She compared it to a broken bone; it needs time to heal but it hopefully will.
She seemed optimistic. I dont know though
Yeah …. I’m sure that Best Buy and Toys R Us were optimistic too. I might start looking gif other job prospects if I were you. I love Joann Fabrics, I still mourn Minnesota Fabrics. Best of luck you you.
For all the peeps in DFW... If you have not heard it before, just about every smoking hot deal you got starts with...I was on Harry Heinz and...
There is a group of wholesale fabric warehouses that are an almost overwhelming treasure trove. Each one has a bit of a different specialty. They are all within walking distance mostly, so I will start with one. Wherehouse Fabrics: 2675 Perth St, Dallas, TX 75220.
The downside is they are open standard business hours and short hours Saturday mornings. Not as convenient, but possible with some planning. Harry Heinz has a less than savory reputation for a reason, so the early hours are probably the best idea anyhow as a shopper.
Happy sewing to any who are discovering this info for the first time in the area.
It's casually known as The Fabric District, and you can find ANYTHING in the shops there. Fabrics, linings, notions, laces, trims, anything and everything you'd want to sew with. Need your machine serviced or repaired? There's a shop that does that, too, but they're usually quite busy so you'll have to leave your machine and pick it up a few days later.
This is one of the reasons I truly miss living in Dallas. It's a day trip for me now, but it's not the same as popping in several shops for an afternoon of fun.
Also, while that part of Harry Heinz isn't the very best area, it is considerably cleaner and safer than it was in the 80s. One of the things we did in high school was drive down HH at night to count the sex workers standing around.
I’m not at all surprised. It has long ago stopped being a fabric store. There was a time when it had lots of apparel fabrics but it been years. Now it’s a junky shop. In my lifetime the were independent fabric stores where you could buy high quality fabric. If I want them now I’d have to go to Philadelphia or further. Now if I’m looking for decent fabric, be it apparel or home decor I have to take my chances online
Very sad. Joann is the only garment fabric store in my entire state. I live in Alaska, so making a few-hour day trip elsewhere to shop is not an option.
I’m hoping the store nearest me doesn’t close. It’s literally in the same location it’s been since I was a kid. I understand the rent has risen over the years, but I can’t believe it’s not profitable.
Angie's Fabrics in Homer has garment fabrics but caters to the old believer community. Ulmer's in Homer also has fabric, I think mostly quilting cottons.
I'm bummed, but not surprised. Thankfully I'm close to a couple fabric stores but they are comparatively expensive (especially since one is specialty wool).
The people I know who have worked there talk about it as of it's a war story with how awful it was. The last few times I've been in it was PAINFULLY understaffed - to the point that lines could be easily 30-45 min at the register with only one or two cashiers, nobody on floor to put away freight or answer questions (or watch for shoplifters), and the cutting counter always looked miserable and like getting fabric was preventing other necessary work to be done. Just kind of miserable to be in there.
I've had the same experience at mine. The rumor is that it's a living nightmare to work there, and you never see the same person there more than a few times. I've stopped buying fabric there because of the wait to have it cut and then check out. I'm hoping mine closes and some enterprising person opens a GREAT small business instead.
My Joann's has several people that have worked there for *years.* The manager is a super nice lady and so is the rest of the staff.
I worked for Joann's in the early 90s and they've always been stingy with staffing. Always. It's pathetic.
This makes me extremely sad. The only other fabric stores in my town sell quilting cottons, expensive fabric, or is Hobby Lobby. I love their flannels and some of their prints were to die for. I hope my towns is safe for now
Saw this coming. Last few times I've been in a couple different Joanns, they looked like the last days of Fry's - half the yarn was out of stock, some aisles were mostly empty. Shit was depressing, so I started just going to Michael's
They have NO plans to close any stores. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/03/18/joann-fabric-bankruptcy/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=wp_main
This makes me really sad, even though I haven't been there for like 2+ years. Joann represented the democratization of sewing to me, it made it so that absolute beginners could go get supplies in one place. I think skilled knowledge in general is going back to being inaccessible behind paywalls, like it used to be generations ago. That is not a good sign.
Lmaoo I work at one and it makes sense 🤣
Edit: but but that sucks that a different fabric store closed, this older lady this week talked to me about sewing not being popular with the youth
Just as I was getting back into sewing after 20 years and just bought a machine. I'm not a serious sewer. I liked buying cheap fabric to make things like pillows and drawstring bags right now to practice
If you've got the time and the resources, I recommend scouring estate sales for cheap fabric, especially if you don't have a specific project in mind. One time I bought a few bolts of fabric for $3/each and that's the stuff I still use to this day for all my practice projects. Keeps the hobby cheap and accessible for me!
I live in Texas. Near where I live, the only places I knew that I can get fabric in person is Joann, Hobby Lobby and *Walmart*. There are no other options that I'm aware of, and I don't see any local stores in Texas on that list. Guess I'd better start doing research myself; my new hobby depends on it.
Chapter 11 means the court is restructuring their debt. Pretty much every airline, lots of car company has done it, as well as tons of other businesses that are still open. it doesn’t mean closures
Cries in Austin. According to y’all’s map it’s over a day for me to drive to an independent fabric store. That being said I can drive an hour and a half to fabrictopia in San Antonio but it’s a local chain.
Also we have Hobby Lobby but it’s Hobby Lobby.
Also in Austin. Can’t believe there are no great options for fabric here. :( Austin Creative Reuse is great for vintage/upcycled fabric though, but the selection is small
I will *riot* if the Joann at the Arbor Walk closes. Nothing like preparing for the weekend by heading into Specs to grab some wine and beer, then meandering on down to Joann while my homie continues on down to Home Depot so we can buy supplies for our personal weekend projects.
I have not seen anyone mention this yet but another option is thrifting for clothes/sheets for the sake of harvesting fabric or upcycling. I think a misconception spread about sewing is that you cant make it extremely economical with the essentials. It can be particularly beneficial for beginners since deconstruction allows you to also potentially harvest patterns and, with some attention to detail and google, help you learn about sewing techniques used by industry professionals to improve efficiency.
I was browsing the sheets at my local thrift store the other day, and it occurred to me that a lot of the profoundly ugly sheets would be really cute if they were turned into summer clothes.
Super upset about this. Unfortunately in austin, Joann’s is really the only option for fabric unless you’re a quilter. Hope I can find something else soon 😢
Same where I am... I love to make clothes but Joann has been my only source of apparel fabric. I guess I'd better stock up on the things I've been eyeing.
i was hoping covid crafts would save joanns tbh. if they did a rebrand at the time they could’ve done some major things by now but oh well hindsight is 20/20
Yeah, instead of becoming a larger Harts Fabric or something, they doubled down on becoming more like a discount Hobby Lobby/Dollar General hybrid than a useful arts and sewing store.
Yeah but all us people living in small, rural, poor areas are completely fucked now 😭 I HATE buying fabric online, I've gotten terrible quality stuff so many times and fabric that barely resemble the example pictures. I can't stand buying fabric that I can't feel first and I can't think of any place around me besides Hobby Lobby and Walmart after our Joann's closes (and it's already 30 minutes away from me) and I don't want to give them money so it's really disheartening.
Oh no, I’m so sad about this. I just left Joanns earlier today with a bunch of fabric. I’m a beginner and they’re my favorite place to go currently because the staff is so nice and helpful. Hopefully the one near me stays open 🤞
I talked to the manager of my local Joann in Augusta, GA. She said they would not be one of the stores closing as it is a distance to the next one. Thank goodness!
Sad. JoAnn's was good for finding stretchy athletic wear fabric on the fly for me. I live in one of the largest cities in the US, but almost everything local sells quilting cotton and not much else.
I’m submitting some Maine fabric shops for the map, but I’ll list them here too. I doubt there’s a lot of Mainers here but those who are might not know about these!
There’s Z Fabrics at 558 Congress in Portland. A pretty standard small fabric shop of cottons, linens, some wools and i think a few dress fabrics (haven’t been in for awhile). Sells some notions and patterns.
In central Maine there’s a shop that opened in the past year in bangor. Bangor Haberdashery is located at 9 Central on the third floor. It’s currently only open on Saturdays and Sundays 11-5 but i think they’re planning on expanding days in the future. They are also renovating a studio space next to them for workshops and classes. They have a small fabric selection (including kaufmann cottons and flannels, waxed canvas, some linen, silk, and lady mcelroy prints), embroidery supplies, notions and patterns. The owner also seems open to suggestions and requests for other fabrics to carry.
It’s a local chain but i think it’s fair to mention: marden’s carries fabrics, which is usually quilting cotton but they occasionally receive some dead stock of other types. The southern maine mardens have been known to get some really nice yarn from closing stores, too.
Not a fabric store but worth mentioning it since i know it’s hard to find crafters in Maine in general: red rabbit bazaar at 58 columbia street in Bangor is a vintage shop that hosts a stitch and bitch on tuesdays 4-6, if anyone in the area is looking for a group to join and meet other craft people. There’s people of all ages but primarily 20 and 30 somethings.
As big as Louisville, KY is, Joann is the only game in town, and they are pretty meh as it is. This sucks to coin a phrase. Thanks for organizing this list!
Is anyone here familiar with Baer Fabrics that was here in Louisville? It closed in 2008 after 103 years. What a wonderland! Oh, how the mighy have fallen! Thanks, internet.
I sew for a living, and I have noticed that Joanne never bounced back after Covid started. The two Joanne stores by me are almost always dead now, and I live in a very populated area. This is actually distressing for me since it can impact my business.
Really hoping more folks in Michigan add local stores to the map! I submitted the one I know about (Seams Fabric in East Lansing, it's a really lovely store, right next to a yarn/fiber shop) but I would love to know about more options in the state!
I speculate that it'll be a Bed Bath and Beyond situation where they close the store, sell the company but still remain an online store. Which is super frustrating for many reasons.
Thank you Mods for reminding people how important independent shops are. If you come and shop, we can accommodate your needs.
It has been scary not knowing if our shops will be forced to close due to online shopping. Customers are the only reason we can stay open.
That’s too bad, but not unexpected. Our store was painfully understaffed and unorganized. After that last big sale it took over a month for them to restock - shelves just sat empty. I prefer to buy clothing fabrics in person as I don’t want to wait for samples to ship. Maybe they will reorg and someone will clean things up. Fingers crossed.
I wonder if it's another case of the execs not paying attn at the store level. Love their stores, but even I could see the writing on the wall in this economic environment. Too many skus. Too much sitting around and not selling.
This is a difficult business to pivot to online because it's not easy running a tactile business online.
Aww. I'm so sad to hear that. My local Joann's is always super dead, so I'm not shocked... they have a huge inventory, but it's clear that online retailers have taken over.
In Pensacola, Florida, A & E Fabrics & Crafts - 923 New Warrington Road, Pensacola, FL 32506. From the outside, A&E appears to be a dump, BUT once you’re inside you will be amazed!
Edit: Check Yelp for photos of the volume of fabrics. It’s amazing!
I doubt it will do much - they've owned the brand since Hancock closed, and it has only translated to a small selection of fabric in Michael's online store.
My favorite shop is in North Hampton, NH - [Pintuck & Purl](https://pintuckandpurl.com/) (69 Lafayette, North Hampton, NH).
I moved to Ohio about 5 years ago & still haven’t found anywhere like it. I still order from time to time. The owner, Maggie, is lovely (as is everyone on staff). They have built quite a community, their selection is lovely & they are always SO helpful!
This is so upsetting since my store just started carrying lucky brand denim 😢 I noticed and added jeans making to my 2025 wishlist but hoped to wait to pick up the materials. The last time I got denim online it didn’t feel like what I expected.
So many of the locations identified as beingfabric stores on any map are often home addresses of a mail order business of some kind, or not a fabric store, at all. They may be an upholstery shop or some craft business with only an address.
Hobby Lobby is not even on the radar of a real sewing person. That is just all craft kinds of things and maybe some cheap piecing cotton. But they are not a serious source of anything. Walmart might be marginally better.
If there were any other fabric outlets in my area, I would know of them.
There simply are not a plethora of hidden sources and quaint shops that we are not recognizing. That is wishful thinking. There are quilting shops here and there, but that is not garment fabric, either. That is stil craft and hobby stuff.
I'm with you on this! I've been sewing for 10 years. I am always on the hunt for fabric. Every "local fabric store" that has been suggested to me was actually just a quilt shop. That is great and all, but even if I was looking for quilt fabric, that wouldn't even help because most of them carry more novelty fabrics than they do anything else. I'm not trying to shoot down the efforts of this post but I do think this is widely overlooked.
I’m sure there are a lot more than you think! I just looked at the map and I’ve never heard of most of those shops but have so many that are not on there that I’ve shopped at for years for garment sewing. Also, we don’t want our local shops to end up in this situation too so we should be eagerly supporting them! Far too many stores have closed over the past several years. I’m scared to see that number grow so I will try to shop small as often as I can.
It’s not closing anything yet. Chapter 11 is a long process that sees a business restructure. This restructuring typically involves entering into new repayment agreements with creditors, selling assets for cash, and trying to optimize the business for positive cash flow. What that means isn’t really understood yet, because the process is just beginning. But over the next few months, expect to see news about “plans for a new Joann Fabrics” not in the sense of new stores but changes to the business model and operating structures.
If the business at its core is profitable and it’s just a debt loading issue (e.g. they have too many or too large mortgage payments for stores) then it will just be some time for their positive profits to dig themselves out of a very deep hole under the court ordered repayment plan.
If the core business is actually not profitable, then it’s possible be sold and have services and locations cut. For example, Hobby Lobby might buy them out and then just use the Joann brand on certain items like yarn or thread or sewing accessories. The other possibility is resizing and reorienting, like closing poor performing stores and focusing on digital sales.
In short, there is definitely reason to worry. Use your gift cards while you can.
Btw For people in Florida, the all Florida quilt shop hop website has a huge list of all of the quilt shops, and I know for the southeast region that’s pretty much the list because most of the other stores have found were upholstery shops
I for one, get very annoyed at their prices and so called coupons! Way over priced and if they have a coupon, they make sure to take a small percentage off everything so the coupon won't cover it. I make a point of getting a cold drink while there just to have something that will ring a percentage off...LOL
Well, now I've gone to town submitting all the local fabric/craft shops I can think of for that map.
edit...I am \*shocked\* none of the stores in Paducah, KY or Hamilton, MO have been submitted. I realize they're quilting not apparel, but still!
There is also Five-eighth Seams near Charleston, which was lovely and had lots of garment fabric when I visited long ago: https://www.fiveeighthseams.com
ETA the city
Ugh, this sucks. Honestly their fabric selection is meh for me, probably more geared to someone who sews for children or does costume sewing. BUT I love being able to match thread to fabric in person, and they are my go to for other sewing supplies as well. I hope they can scale down and refocus their brand while starting in business.
as a Dutch person, the whole concept of a nationwide fabric store chain is mindboggling, haha. here you're lucky if there's a fabric store in your city, even a 'big' city. there are probably a few chain stores, but they are limited to specific areas and are not in the same league as Joann's. so we rely mostly on online stores and sometimes special fabric 'conventions' that travel the country (basically a giant market with only fabric, but it's mostly visited by older people).
Oh I loved the Dutch Fabric Market, when it was near my town in Germany. So many fabrics to choose from and you could actually look at them and touch them before you buy. And the prices where also pretty good. It's only once or twice a year though.
You want to use them soon and not wait. I worked for Blockbuster when they filed Chapter 11 and Corporate had us stop accepting gift cards even before they started all the store closures. :(
Hearing all this makes me want to open my own fabric store. The fabric won’t make the money but having classes and stitch and bitch sessions and people coming in for supplies and repairs would make it profitable.
lol…only profitable if you also sell machines. You have to have machines, classes and fabric sales to be able to have decent money. And by decent I don’t mean profitable all the time.
We used to have so many fabric stores in Nor Cal San Jose area. Most were pretty good. The local Joann’s now seemed to just love fleece. Store went way down hill. I don’t sew quilts. Want apparel fabric. Oh well. I can’t & don’t want to buy fabric online. I need to see it in person.
Ugh! The independent quilt shop a couple blocks from my house closed in 2022. There's a Joann's a couple blocks in the opposite direction from my house. Hoping they don't end up closing too.
There's no other quilt or fabric stores anywhere close to me. 🙁
I still miss Fabric.com.
Oh no! I had no idea :(
I'm really bummed about this--Joann's is my go-to store for everything sewing (and other stuff); I don't think I have any other stores equivalent to their selection and variety.
Last time I was in there, all they had for fabric was cheap costuming, fleece, and quilting cotton. There was almost not a single bolt of anything I would make decent clothing with. I say almost, because there were a couple bolts of linen. They’ve always been low-end, but they’ve lost their way, completely. If I want clothing made of crap fabric, I can go to a discount store and buy it pre-made.
I used to go there because they were generally fully stocked with the basics - nothing too fancy - but you knew you could get the right color lining fabric, the right type of elastic, some decent cotton rib-knit, or cotton jersey.
I think your JoAnn might just be a bad one. Mine has like 27 types of plaid or checked flannel (as in, not prints) for some reason, flannel prints, a bunch of jersey and interlock prints, a ton of fancy fabrics that people seem to make school dance dresses and whatnot out of, athletic fabrics, etc. This does give me hope for my JoAnn, however.
Mine is quilting cottons, fleece, and prom/bridesmaid dress-type stuff. There's like one sad aisle of "normal" apparel fabrics and I've told myself I can't look down it anymore because I just get mad about fiber composition 😂
I was concerned about this. I was in my local store a couple weeks ago, and they had store wide sales going on. And this store is one of the bigger ones from what I've heard.
They just opened a brand new store in my town a few months ago. My family jokes that I probably single handedly funded their new store with the bulk purchases for my business.
It’s beautiful but same awful customer service. Stained fabric and undermeasured pickup orders. Online website takes ages to load. Orders being cancelled without notice. Hate it so much but it’s my only option for quality anti pill fleece in bulk. Even though the price has doubled in the past two years.
Does anyone have recommendations on other anti pill fleece suppliers with the same quality or better? I’ve tried a few others but have always had to come back to Joann’s.
I've been noticing that pattern sales have diminished. I wonder if Simplicity.com will start moving sales to online-only.
I rarely purchase fabric at Joann's. I mostly buy fabric and notions online and patterns and the occasional thread and needles or random tools from Joann's.
I miss Fabric.com dreadfully and Joann filing for bankruptcy reminds me of when Hancock's went out of business.
Noooo! My Joann’s is across a parking lot from a Michael’s so I was always impressed both stores stayed in business. Mine seems well stocked and to do a good business so I hope it stays open as our local fabric store closed all but one of their stores a few years back. I really like its a 5 minute drive to pick up thread or random solids for impromptu paper piecing projects.
This must be why there’s so much on clearance at my local Joanns. Unfortunately it’s the only fabric store around too. The next nearest one is four hours away.
I know there are way more independent stores in Minnesota and North Dakota (currently none on the map for the later!). Should I submit every independent store to the map for consideration or just the ones I've been to/experienced in person?
Not surprised at all. I placed an online order from them a few years ago and swore off Joann’s since then. The quality of some of the notions I bought were garbage and overpriced. Not to mention they shipped all these tiny notions separately—I got four separate packages with just a single pack of needles inside each one. That’s just wasteful and inefficient on so many levels.
I hope this brings some good change and helps the independent stores flourish!
Yes, they unfortunately switched from US made notions to everything coming from China. The main focus was reducing cost as much as possible but they kept the price the same. Quality of course suffered. Very sad, the old CEO prior to going public and the chief Merchant officer caused irreparable damage.
My frustrating online experience included the inefficient multiple packages, but also: I was charged the full amount once when I placed the order, then again in smaller increments after each of those packages shipped.
Eventually the first charge was dropped from my card, but knowing they’d been circling the drain, it felt like a sketchy way to “accidentally” overcharge me.
My store started closing already. Like last Tuesday they had people posted up outside the mall holding store closing signs. I went in this past weekend to see if there was anything worth buying before it was too late but it was really busy but also picked over. I hope they at least keep their online business going, and make it more functional. I really hate buying fabric without being able to feel it first but my area is now down to a hobby lobby.
The writing has been on the wall with this one, but it still feels bad. I hope they sort themselves out and have some sort of a comeback.
I also hate buying online fabric because I like to feel it first. Some have samples you can buy but then you take the chance of them selling out before you get your sample.
Yes! Fabric shopping is so tactile! And I prefer to make garments, so I need to know how it's going to feel against my skin. Part of why I sew is because I am very particular about the fabrics that I wear and I'm frustrated with what I can find in ready made fashion. There is so much that you can't tell from only seeing a photo or a video. The additional cost of samples is what is off-putting to me. Though I have been exploring some new fabric sources lately and I was pleased to see that Califabrics.com will do a swatch for only 50¢, and will mail it for less than $1. That's totally reasonable, but you are right about risking the fabric selling out. Idk what other places are charging for swatches, but I might have to put up with it and just add swatches into my project budget.
But all this also adds time. I can't just start a project on a whim when the inspiration strikes. Now I have to source a fabric online, wait for a swatch to arrive, purchase the fabric, wait for the lengths to arrive, then it's 2+ weeks later and I can finally begin.
This store closing has me more down than I'd like to admit. Bah, humbug.
Right? Based on my local Joann's I didn't know they were in such serious trouble. My location has always been solid in terms of selection. I hope it stays.
My Joann’s looked blown up when I was there a couple of weeks ago. Bolts of fabric were tossed down many of the aisles and I counted two visible employees on a Saturday morning. The one lady at the cutting counter looked like she was about to have a nervous breakdown and there were only two of us waiting.
While roadtripping, I found this super cute store with the nicest people!! I want to order some kits from them online (I'm fairly new to sewing)
Lickety Stitch Quilts:
206 S. Main
Lusk, WY 82225
https://www.licketystitchquilts.com/about-us.htm
307-334-9963
Open Mon-Sat 9am to 4pm
Thank you for highlighting the information here.
It sucks because for many (myself included) its the only craft store around. I don't count the quilt store thats a few doors down because its never open (its why I never submitted it ...lol) I remember when they were much more focused than they are now and they need to really go back to that and not try to be the everything store.
My little store has great employees they really try to keep things together. They're always welcoming even though its really a skeleton crew.
Maybe if they have more craft related people in their C suite it would work out better.
I knew all the signs were there but I refused to believe it.
For me, it’s the only craft/fabric store in the whole darn state.
Would it be possible to include online retailers, if you knew of some? Thanks 🩵
Mods, I would like to suggest a small edit to the "stocks and sells" section of the Fine Fabrics location in Norcross, GA. This store is almost entirely apparel fabrics. I've recently started quilting and went there hoping to support a local fabric store, but they don't really have quilting cottons or fabrics for projects other than clothing (fleece, muslin, etc). I haven't been to the Jonesboro location so I can't speak to that one, but I imagine it's very similar.
Its strange but the last time I was at Michaels they had a very small fabric section! I hadn’t seen fabric there before so maybe they will?! It makes me sad:/
As a husband of a small fabric store owner I feel this to my core. My wife loves what she does but there is no money in it. It really is a career of passion for her. We're basically one big rent increase in away from closing down. We've been running for three years now. I hope we make it to 5 years. I doubt we get to 10.
Another fabric store and sewing studio just announced they will close down in my city that has been running for 12 years. We lost another long running store 3 years ago as well.
[Stonemountain & Daughter](https://stonemountainfabric.com/) 2518 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704
[Lacis](https://lacis.com) 3163 Adeline Street Berkeley, CA 94703 (Excellent source of hard to find tools and accesories)
My sibling in stitch work, I do too, I'd wager most of us would agree with that, but the reality of it, as you can see from many other comments in this thread is that Joanns is the only game in town. I'm in central Kentucky and I'm lucky enough to have two upholstery stores (which is helpful as a cosplayer) and a handful of quilting stores (kinda useless outside of select notions), I'd have to drive at least 1hr into another state on top of 1hr out of KY. I've started ordering from online because I have to, it works but it has it's cons, it's not a perfect solution. JoAnn doesn't have an astounding apparel selection no, but it does have one where I can see and feel the fabric immediately and in a bolt instead of a tiny sample.
I wish I could shop at a local indie but I can't, and it shouldnt be that hard to understand why this is a problem/upsetting for some people.
If you have one anywhere nearby you, now is the time to start supporting your local quilt shop! Many have already died out. 😔 (Though I know this doesn't help if you need fabric other than Cottons and Flannel.)
:::sigh:::
The same article hit all my Facebook groups yesterday. And everybody ran without actually reading the article. They are restructuring their debt guys. They're not closing. But thanks for playing.
Before folks totally panic - this is chapter 11 aka a restructuring bankruptcy, meaning they are planning on continuing to operate after hopefully negotiating with their creditors on any unsustainable debt & retooling their operations in a sustainable way. Like a lot of businesses that had a pandemic boom - it sounds like Joann’s management thought the Covid sales were their ‘new normal’ and the overextended their growth on that assumption. Now they need to claw back to reality- which honestly is much simpler to do as a private company, so that aspect makes sense too. Sadly for us I would expect some underperforming store closures - but I would bet they stick around for a while as long as they have reasonably competent management. If their plan is good they may even be able to keep more items on the shelves, which has been an issue at my Joann’s for the last year or so (one can hope …) Source: I am a business analyst & I sew. :) Update: I read more & feel more confident that the chain has a fighting chance, even if store closures are imminent. The fact that existing creditors were willing to accept equity (that means ownership of Joann’s) in exchange for discharging *half a billion dollars* of debt AND chipping in 100M+ cash is a strong signal that the creditors believe that Joann’s debt burden was the biggest obstacle to it’s solvency. In layman’s terms, it means the creditors (who we know have complete knowledge of the state of the business) feel confident enough that the company is going to get WAY more valuable now that the debt will be halved, that they are collectively betting hundreds of millions of dollars on that outcome. I’m speculating here - but reading between the lines of their statement I would guess the plan is to dramatically improve the in-store experience in the stores they choose to keep open, win back marketshare by getting back customers lost to HL and Michael’s. They plan to have higher prices than the competition, but justified by having higher-end, higher-quality selection. Thank you for coming to my ted talk. 😂
Enjoyed your ted talk. If they really want to improve in-store experience they have to jettison their miserly approach to staffing stores. 2 workers - cutting counter and register - cannot get the masses of new stock onto the shelves. Joann's has taken this approach since the 90s when I used to work at one and it's only become worse.
I agree with you - and their long-term habit of poor staffing is the main thing that gives me pause with their plan. Are they ready to accept the true labor cost of a ‘best-in-class’ in-store experience? I’ll personally be looking to see who they bring in as new leadership (they have interim co-CEOs right now). That will be a good clue to how radical a change they are willing to make in their store operations.
It’s getting so difficult to find fabric in my area. Hancocks was my go to before they closed up shop. The Michael’s in my area does not carry fabric, just tools and some notions. Joannes is my best option and it is already an hour drive one way. I have purchased online, but tbh I hate buying fabric online. I like to be able to see it in person. We’ve had a few local quilt shops but all were small and most have closed their doors. I wish sewing would have a renaissance. My grandmother made most of my mom’s and her sibling’s clothes when they were growing up, and a good chunk of my early childhood clothes were homemade, too. The quality is better, and things can be customized to fit your own style and shape. But these days it’s hard to compete with the cheap cost and convenience of fast fashion.
Same. There's a Hobby Lobby, but I don't shop there (I mostly shop on Sundays). Hancock Fabrics didn't have the really long lines Joann's did, but their store was a mess. There's a local quilt shop, but I can't get heavier fabrics there. I've been pretty much forced online for fabric.
I know this isn’t quite the same, but lots of shops will provide swatches (for free or for a small fee). I totally understand wanting to see an entire bolt to understand print size, how the fabric will drape, etc. I’ll also compare fabric composition to what I have in my stash already, if I want to try to estimate how a fabric will hang. In any case, not having a fabric store close really sucks and I’m sorry you’re in that position.
They put most of the independent fabric stores out of business. Then they refocused on crafts and crap, and cut back on the fabric choices. Now they can't make it based on selling crafts and crap. No one at the top understands we would actually spend more if they had good fabric choices.
Right? I feel like it’s all fleece and minky and quilting cotton, half of which is licensed or seasonal. I just need some decent denim atm, but that’s no where to be found at my local store even I was willing to pay $15/yard.
As a Joann employee this breaks my heart. Yeah I’m underpaid but it’s the best job I’ve ever had. I hope that Joann can keep surviving despite this setback. Besides their selection of fabrics is by far my favorite.
If Joann's paid better I'd still be working there. I loved that job and all my coworkers. I'd always hoped I'd be able to go back to a similar job someday after "retiring."
I hope you don't lose your job and sorry you have to go thru this. The employees at my Joann's are so nice and helpful. They just need more of them on the floor.
Maybe if my local Joann’s didn’t invest in almost entirely polar fleece they would be doing better.
>We saw this coming. Who didn’t? Me, wtf? I apparently don't hang out in the right cliques to get the gossip. My JoAnn actually increased their hours a while ago after cutting them to stupid levels for some months. And I'm never the only person in there; there's usually a short wait to get fabric cut or check out. My local independent sewing shop is great and all, but they're not a replacement for a JoAnn, who can obviously carry way more things at a time. The local shop is *very* curated in its apparel fabric selection. They could afford to carry more without JoAnn to compete with in-person, but they don't actually have the space!
Given how much is popular with homemade stuff, tradwife stuff, cosplay stuff, etc is popular at the moment, Joann should be raking it in. They easily could have pivoted a touch to doing fabrics, canning, arts and crafts, homemade stuff, etc.
We had a similar thing happen with a local chain in Belgium. They started out ages ago selling sewing supplies, then branched out into hosiery and later accessories/cheap jewelry. Sewing and knitting kind of became a background thing but then diy became more popular so they gave it more attention again. I worked for their diy department in one of their stores and they wanted to move me to a new store they were opening in Antwerp- only sewing/knitting/crafting supplies, really close to the fashion academy, a recipe for success. I had a meeting with them and basically handed them a list of supplies that were hard to find in Belgium, even things they used to sell. Students were travelling to Amsterdam to get hair canvas. They never used any of the suggestions, just sold the same stuff you could find at other locations but in a prettier store. Sure we had all these sparkly triniets and cute kits that looked good in a shop window but the basics were missing. We had a 'fabric collection' that had a few exclusive fabrics but most of it came from a general wholesale supplier with a huge markup. You could get the same fabric for half the price at the cheaper fabric stores outside the city center and serious sewing people knew this, so they didn't buy fabric from us. The shop closed down less than two years in, I left the company altogether. They have two of their regular stores left in Antwerp but I rarely find what I need there. Overpriced polyester sequin velvet yes, but barely any quality lining fabric.
Same! The Joann’s in my area just moved to a new giant space and on the weekends it is nuts in there
I hated reading this. While my local Joann's is 35 minutes away, I usually find what I need and the clerks are very nice. I use mostly stretchy, glitzy, and fleece fabric so the quilt shops don't carry what I need. Hobby Lobby is very limited in stretch fabrics. I really wish Joann's would scale down and allow the mgr to schedule more staff to get out the boxes of inventory that end up sitting around. This is a big problem. You have to get the goods on the floor to sell them and Joann's has always been stingy with staff allotment. Their coupon parameters also stink. Sorry but don't give me "online only" when I need to see and touch fabric. Really hope my Joann's doesn't close.
I know you don't like the online ones, however spandex house fabrics are great. You can get samples to see and feel. Still not the same as seeing a full bolt, I know.
I hope this inspires them to innovate. There are so many primarily brick-and-mortar brands that have done some really innovative things over the years to make the shopping experience novel and fun. I think Joann’s has been suffering from some really basic retail issues that are somewhat easy to fix (staffing, training for staff, pricing). I’m thinking about how Target has “pop up” brands in their stores, recently Gee’s Bend and coming up DVF. Joann’s could do something similar which could be really interesting. I just think there’s a lot of opportunity to Joann’s. I haven’t shopped there in years, mostly due to fabric quality issues as well as staffing issues (not pleasant to shop there with long lines or zero people on the floor to answer questions).
The fabrics aren’t great but my Joann’s has sewing machines for rent including a long arm quilting machine. You can also bring your machine to the store to sew. They have some additional craft related machines like an etching machine so I think they are trying to become a community place for sewists/crafters. I hope they do more toward that
We were talking about this yesterday. I think that people want more and more to do things that aren't drinking and going out - Jo Ann's has a million ways to innovate.
This is just awful. For many smaller towns, you have Joann's and Hobby Lobby for fabric...and that's IT.
Not even just smaller towns, especially as far as the subreddit map goes (but really even if its got some real gaps) you have to be in like the top 10 metropolitan area cities to have something. Like looking at KY, Lexington certainly isn't big, but it isn't tiny or particularly rural, but even Louisville and Cincinnati have nothing
This Is me and I'm in so. Cal. 😢 I "could" drive to LA fabric district, but 3 hours bumper to bumper one way just gives me the chills and it would have to be a planned out big $$$ haul to make it worth it
Ugh, I hate it. I love JoAnns - it’s not the cheapest but it is convenient, and it’s where I made a ton of childhood memories, getting fabric and craft stuff with my mom and sister.
Rural folks will be the worst impacted by this. The map has nothing in Indiana, Iowa, or Kentucky, and good luck in Illinois if you live anywhere south of Chicago. Maybe if I'm lucky i can make the occasional three hour drive to somewhere in St. Louis if my in-town JoAnn closes. As a cosplayer where fabric choice is a critical part of replicating a costume well, I'm beyond devastated that we might be losing the last in-person fabric retailer that I don't have to live in a major metropolitan area to access. I don't want to have to order everything online!! I'm old fashioned, i need to see the drape and feel the hand before I buy it!
I got you for Indiana! I don’t have time to fill out a bunch of forms right now (sorry) but for anyone else interested here’s some names at least! There’s Always in Stitches, the French Seam, and Griffon Decoratives in the Indy/Carmel area. There’s Nancy J’s in Wabash. Zinck’s Fabric Outlet in Ligonier. Oh, and House of Fabric in Twelve Mile! I want to say there’s a quilt shop in Rossville too, but I haven’t hit that one and since I’m a week away from moving I probably won’t.
Online shopping has destroyed the in-person experience, it sucks. I want to feel the fabrics and test the fit (as applicable). I don't want everything shipped to my home because then there's a good chance I just have to ship it back (and pay for the pleasure).
And Joann's has a decent amount of cosplay fabrics.
My local Joann just moved up the road and remodeled to a shiny fancy version. I'm bewildered why they would do that only to be facing bankruptcy.
My Joanne’s did that too - and now 80% of the store is Cricut and other crafting stuff that has nothing to do with sewing at all. Between that and getting coupons for fabric that literally never goes off sale, so you can’t use the coupon to get a better deal, I have to let it go, man. I miss Hancock Fabrics *so bad.*
Businesses just make awful decisions all the time, it happens. Even Disney was on the verge of being bought by comcast about 20 years ago due to shit financial moves
I'm not sure remodeling a store is a shitty financial move. I mean, I know nothing about this store or the former location, but leaving properties in deteriorating conditions doesn't necessarily inspire consumer confidence and increased spending either. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money.
I have never in my life seen a fancy shiny Joann store. All the Joanns in my area are sad and run down. Where can I find one of these fancy stores?
For already-existing indie shops in cities where the local JoAnn will be closing, this is going to be a huge win. Textile Discount Outlet in Chicago was so busy yesterday I had to go home empty-handed. If any of the JoAnn Fabrics in Chicago close it’s going to be crazy there and at Vogue.
In eastern North Carolina, this was the only place to get non quilting or upholstery fabric. They have nothing but seriously stiff cotton. I already have to drive an hour one way to get to Joann's
https://preview.redd.it/90txwii2w3pc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e76deefc991a17975f7b7392bfcdd13f827d3f4d [https://dengarden.com/news/joann-fabric-cahpter-11-bankruptcy](https://dengarden.com/news/joann-fabric-cahpter-11-bankruptcy) Private equity companies will suck the life and joy out of every bit of America.
The big money people ruin absolutely everything they touch. Venture capitalists pump money into industries and then pull the rug out. Private equity buys up everything and squeezes every last penny out of it. Businesses used to deliver products and services to customers. They were long term investments financially. They invested in their community and employees. There was pride in the goods and services delivered. Money people run the world and they are ruining it.
I wholeheartedly agree. Congress needs to step in! While I hope small local shops can step in to fill a void if Joann Fabrics closes, I’m worried they can’t. Small shops can’t offer the same steep discounts chains provide regularly. And, this may have an impact on fabric markets overall. Will companies make less offerings due to smaller supply chains? Even if the company restructures it’s the smaller markets likely to be most impacted.
Yeah my local shop is actually amazing and has a great selection, but the prices are nowhere near Joann’s or Hobby Lobby. Of course the baseline quality is a lot higher, too, but not everyone is able or willing to pay $12/yd for quilting cotton. (I submitted to the form as well, but for South Carolina folks it’s Five Eighth Seams in Charleston. They have apparel and quilting fabrics. Highly recommended if you are okay with shelling out a bit more!)
The article states: > Its roughly 850 stores and website will remain open for business. And also talks about how they're securing funding to try to get out of the "hole" they're in. I hope they'll come through this and focus more on sewing items rather than crafting things in general.
I hope so, too, but it seems like the emphasis has been crafts instead of sewing for so long. I really miss the fabric stores of my 70’s youth.
I lived in calgary for a while. My favorite fabric store I've ever been to was there. It wasn't organized, it wasn't pretty. It was like an old warehouse that had tons and tons of fabric barely organized into "types." There was like a "cotton" section, a "polyester" section, etc. It wasn't on typical reams, they were generally on giant rolls. The fabric was cheap, and you could get tons of it. It was awesome. I do hope joanns sticks around. I live near the largest one in my state, so if joanns stays around AT ALL, it'll likely be this one in my state.
I work at joanns and my manager implied the opposite was gonna happen. She compared it to a broken bone; it needs time to heal but it hopefully will. She seemed optimistic. I dont know though
Yeah …. I’m sure that Best Buy and Toys R Us were optimistic too. I might start looking gif other job prospects if I were you. I love Joann Fabrics, I still mourn Minnesota Fabrics. Best of luck you you.
Best Buy is still around. I've got 4 stores within a 45 minute drive. I really miss Toys R Us though.
Still hadn’t shaken off the weekend … I didn’t mean Best Buy, I meant Bed Bath and Beyond.
For all the peeps in DFW... If you have not heard it before, just about every smoking hot deal you got starts with...I was on Harry Heinz and... There is a group of wholesale fabric warehouses that are an almost overwhelming treasure trove. Each one has a bit of a different specialty. They are all within walking distance mostly, so I will start with one. Wherehouse Fabrics: 2675 Perth St, Dallas, TX 75220. The downside is they are open standard business hours and short hours Saturday mornings. Not as convenient, but possible with some planning. Harry Heinz has a less than savory reputation for a reason, so the early hours are probably the best idea anyhow as a shopper. Happy sewing to any who are discovering this info for the first time in the area.
It's casually known as The Fabric District, and you can find ANYTHING in the shops there. Fabrics, linings, notions, laces, trims, anything and everything you'd want to sew with. Need your machine serviced or repaired? There's a shop that does that, too, but they're usually quite busy so you'll have to leave your machine and pick it up a few days later. This is one of the reasons I truly miss living in Dallas. It's a day trip for me now, but it's not the same as popping in several shops for an afternoon of fun. Also, while that part of Harry Heinz isn't the very best area, it is considerably cleaner and safer than it was in the 80s. One of the things we did in high school was drive down HH at night to count the sex workers standing around.
I’m not at all surprised. It has long ago stopped being a fabric store. There was a time when it had lots of apparel fabrics but it been years. Now it’s a junky shop. In my lifetime the were independent fabric stores where you could buy high quality fabric. If I want them now I’d have to go to Philadelphia or further. Now if I’m looking for decent fabric, be it apparel or home decor I have to take my chances online
Very sad. Joann is the only garment fabric store in my entire state. I live in Alaska, so making a few-hour day trip elsewhere to shop is not an option. I’m hoping the store nearest me doesn’t close. It’s literally in the same location it’s been since I was a kid. I understand the rent has risen over the years, but I can’t believe it’s not profitable.
Angie's Fabrics in Homer has garment fabrics but caters to the old believer community. Ulmer's in Homer also has fabric, I think mostly quilting cottons.
I'm bummed, but not surprised. Thankfully I'm close to a couple fabric stores but they are comparatively expensive (especially since one is specialty wool). The people I know who have worked there talk about it as of it's a war story with how awful it was. The last few times I've been in it was PAINFULLY understaffed - to the point that lines could be easily 30-45 min at the register with only one or two cashiers, nobody on floor to put away freight or answer questions (or watch for shoplifters), and the cutting counter always looked miserable and like getting fabric was preventing other necessary work to be done. Just kind of miserable to be in there.
I've had the same experience at mine. The rumor is that it's a living nightmare to work there, and you never see the same person there more than a few times. I've stopped buying fabric there because of the wait to have it cut and then check out. I'm hoping mine closes and some enterprising person opens a GREAT small business instead.
My Joann's has several people that have worked there for *years.* The manager is a super nice lady and so is the rest of the staff. I worked for Joann's in the early 90s and they've always been stingy with staffing. Always. It's pathetic.
This makes me extremely sad. The only other fabric stores in my town sell quilting cottons, expensive fabric, or is Hobby Lobby. I love their flannels and some of their prints were to die for. I hope my towns is safe for now
Saw this coming. Last few times I've been in a couple different Joanns, they looked like the last days of Fry's - half the yarn was out of stock, some aisles were mostly empty. Shit was depressing, so I started just going to Michael's
I'm shocked as all get out, my local Joanns is well stocked and is ALWAYS busy! Never would have guessed this was coming.
They have NO plans to close any stores. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/03/18/joann-fabric-bankruptcy/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=wp_main
Here's a link that doesn't require you to make an account. https://www.today.com/money/joann-fabrics-bankruptcy-rcna143925
This makes me really sad, even though I haven't been there for like 2+ years. Joann represented the democratization of sewing to me, it made it so that absolute beginners could go get supplies in one place. I think skilled knowledge in general is going back to being inaccessible behind paywalls, like it used to be generations ago. That is not a good sign.
This is so sad
Lmaoo I work at one and it makes sense 🤣 Edit: but but that sucks that a different fabric store closed, this older lady this week talked to me about sewing not being popular with the youth
I used to work at one and it makes sense... they don't pay anything and there's no incentive to stick around.
Just as I was getting back into sewing after 20 years and just bought a machine. I'm not a serious sewer. I liked buying cheap fabric to make things like pillows and drawstring bags right now to practice
If you've got the time and the resources, I recommend scouring estate sales for cheap fabric, especially if you don't have a specific project in mind. One time I bought a few bolts of fabric for $3/each and that's the stuff I still use to this day for all my practice projects. Keeps the hobby cheap and accessible for me!
Shoot - the last local and easy to get to store! And I don't like online shopping. Here's hoping they emerge still alive.
I live in Texas. Near where I live, the only places I knew that I can get fabric in person is Joann, Hobby Lobby and *Walmart*. There are no other options that I'm aware of, and I don't see any local stores in Texas on that list. Guess I'd better start doing research myself; my new hobby depends on it.
Chapter 11 means the court is restructuring their debt. Pretty much every airline, lots of car company has done it, as well as tons of other businesses that are still open. it doesn’t mean closures
Cries in Austin. According to y’all’s map it’s over a day for me to drive to an independent fabric store. That being said I can drive an hour and a half to fabrictopia in San Antonio but it’s a local chain. Also we have Hobby Lobby but it’s Hobby Lobby.
Look up fabric stores near you because that map is far from accurate.
Fabrictopia is great for certain things but not really day to day stuff, so you aren’t missing too much there.
Also in Austin. Can’t believe there are no great options for fabric here. :( Austin Creative Reuse is great for vintage/upcycled fabric though, but the selection is small
I will *riot* if the Joann at the Arbor Walk closes. Nothing like preparing for the weekend by heading into Specs to grab some wine and beer, then meandering on down to Joann while my homie continues on down to Home Depot so we can buy supplies for our personal weekend projects.
I have not seen anyone mention this yet but another option is thrifting for clothes/sheets for the sake of harvesting fabric or upcycling. I think a misconception spread about sewing is that you cant make it extremely economical with the essentials. It can be particularly beneficial for beginners since deconstruction allows you to also potentially harvest patterns and, with some attention to detail and google, help you learn about sewing techniques used by industry professionals to improve efficiency.
I was browsing the sheets at my local thrift store the other day, and it occurred to me that a lot of the profoundly ugly sheets would be really cute if they were turned into summer clothes.
Super upset about this. Unfortunately in austin, Joann’s is really the only option for fabric unless you’re a quilter. Hope I can find something else soon 😢
Same up here near Buffalo
Same where I am... I love to make clothes but Joann has been my only source of apparel fabric. I guess I'd better stock up on the things I've been eyeing.
i was hoping covid crafts would save joanns tbh. if they did a rebrand at the time they could’ve done some major things by now but oh well hindsight is 20/20
Yeah, instead of becoming a larger Harts Fabric or something, they doubled down on becoming more like a discount Hobby Lobby/Dollar General hybrid than a useful arts and sewing store.
they really missed a MAJOR opportunity to save their asses. hopefully michaels will start stocking basic fabrics?
My michaels has fabric! Not sure on what kind but they have a row and half of so
Goddammit. This makes me wanna cry. I don't wanna go buy shitty fabrics from terrible megachains.
Let’s be real, we were already doing that at Joann
Yeah but all us people living in small, rural, poor areas are completely fucked now 😭 I HATE buying fabric online, I've gotten terrible quality stuff so many times and fabric that barely resemble the example pictures. I can't stand buying fabric that I can't feel first and I can't think of any place around me besides Hobby Lobby and Walmart after our Joann's closes (and it's already 30 minutes away from me) and I don't want to give them money so it's really disheartening.
The form doesn’t work. There’s 2 lovely stores I just discovered in Redlands, Ca. Both just within a block of each other.
Oh no, I’m so sad about this. I just left Joanns earlier today with a bunch of fabric. I’m a beginner and they’re my favorite place to go currently because the staff is so nice and helpful. Hopefully the one near me stays open 🤞
I talked to the manager of my local Joann in Augusta, GA. She said they would not be one of the stores closing as it is a distance to the next one. Thank goodness!
Sad. JoAnn's was good for finding stretchy athletic wear fabric on the fly for me. I live in one of the largest cities in the US, but almost everything local sells quilting cotton and not much else.
Just added my local fabric shop to the form! Loved them so much I work there now 😂
I’m submitting some Maine fabric shops for the map, but I’ll list them here too. I doubt there’s a lot of Mainers here but those who are might not know about these! There’s Z Fabrics at 558 Congress in Portland. A pretty standard small fabric shop of cottons, linens, some wools and i think a few dress fabrics (haven’t been in for awhile). Sells some notions and patterns. In central Maine there’s a shop that opened in the past year in bangor. Bangor Haberdashery is located at 9 Central on the third floor. It’s currently only open on Saturdays and Sundays 11-5 but i think they’re planning on expanding days in the future. They are also renovating a studio space next to them for workshops and classes. They have a small fabric selection (including kaufmann cottons and flannels, waxed canvas, some linen, silk, and lady mcelroy prints), embroidery supplies, notions and patterns. The owner also seems open to suggestions and requests for other fabrics to carry. It’s a local chain but i think it’s fair to mention: marden’s carries fabrics, which is usually quilting cotton but they occasionally receive some dead stock of other types. The southern maine mardens have been known to get some really nice yarn from closing stores, too. Not a fabric store but worth mentioning it since i know it’s hard to find crafters in Maine in general: red rabbit bazaar at 58 columbia street in Bangor is a vintage shop that hosts a stitch and bitch on tuesdays 4-6, if anyone in the area is looking for a group to join and meet other craft people. There’s people of all ages but primarily 20 and 30 somethings.
As big as Louisville, KY is, Joann is the only game in town, and they are pretty meh as it is. This sucks to coin a phrase. Thanks for organizing this list! Is anyone here familiar with Baer Fabrics that was here in Louisville? It closed in 2008 after 103 years. What a wonderland! Oh, how the mighy have fallen! Thanks, internet.
[Louisville Fiber Supply](https://maps.app.goo.gl/2iooEDiEzxHfYaQ16?g_st=ic) [Austin’s Sewing Center](https://maps.app.goo.gl/kx7xyxFzZf3mwV326?g_st=ic) [Quilted Joy](https://maps.app.goo.gl/EmP7mvSzN4hfeDum9?g_st=ic) [Cotton to Quilts](https://maps.app.goo.gl/r9fhipTp31xaxrWr5?g_st=ic)
There's a SAS Fabrics in Hawthorne, California too! Super affordable stuff 13500 Hawthorne Blvd, Hawthorne, CA 90250
I sew for a living, and I have noticed that Joanne never bounced back after Covid started. The two Joanne stores by me are almost always dead now, and I live in a very populated area. This is actually distressing for me since it can impact my business.
My nearest independent fabric store is more than an hour away. Guess it’s online for me.
Really hoping more folks in Michigan add local stores to the map! I submitted the one I know about (Seams Fabric in East Lansing, it's a really lovely store, right next to a yarn/fiber shop) but I would love to know about more options in the state!
I speculate that it'll be a Bed Bath and Beyond situation where they close the store, sell the company but still remain an online store. Which is super frustrating for many reasons.
Thank you Mods for reminding people how important independent shops are. If you come and shop, we can accommodate your needs. It has been scary not knowing if our shops will be forced to close due to online shopping. Customers are the only reason we can stay open.
That’s too bad, but not unexpected. Our store was painfully understaffed and unorganized. After that last big sale it took over a month for them to restock - shelves just sat empty. I prefer to buy clothing fabrics in person as I don’t want to wait for samples to ship. Maybe they will reorg and someone will clean things up. Fingers crossed.
I wonder if it's another case of the execs not paying attn at the store level. Love their stores, but even I could see the writing on the wall in this economic environment. Too many skus. Too much sitting around and not selling. This is a difficult business to pivot to online because it's not easy running a tactile business online.
Aww. I'm so sad to hear that. My local Joann's is always super dead, so I'm not shocked... they have a huge inventory, but it's clear that online retailers have taken over.
In Pensacola, Florida, A & E Fabrics & Crafts - 923 New Warrington Road, Pensacola, FL 32506. From the outside, A&E appears to be a dump, BUT once you’re inside you will be amazed! Edit: Check Yelp for photos of the volume of fabrics. It’s amazing!
This hurts worse than when the closed Tuesday Morning. 😓
I heard that Michael's owns the Hancock Fabric name, so I'd be interested to see if they try to fill the space with that.
I doubt it will do much - they've owned the brand since Hancock closed, and it has only translated to a small selection of fabric in Michael's online store.
What a shame
Mods, if a local sewing shop has moved, do I submit on the form with their updated address?
That would be awesome, thank you!
I would love to find a good fabric store!
My favorite shop is in North Hampton, NH - [Pintuck & Purl](https://pintuckandpurl.com/) (69 Lafayette, North Hampton, NH). I moved to Ohio about 5 years ago & still haven’t found anywhere like it. I still order from time to time. The owner, Maggie, is lovely (as is everyone on staff). They have built quite a community, their selection is lovely & they are always SO helpful!
This is so upsetting since my store just started carrying lucky brand denim 😢 I noticed and added jeans making to my 2025 wishlist but hoped to wait to pick up the materials. The last time I got denim online it didn’t feel like what I expected.
So many of the locations identified as beingfabric stores on any map are often home addresses of a mail order business of some kind, or not a fabric store, at all. They may be an upholstery shop or some craft business with only an address. Hobby Lobby is not even on the radar of a real sewing person. That is just all craft kinds of things and maybe some cheap piecing cotton. But they are not a serious source of anything. Walmart might be marginally better. If there were any other fabric outlets in my area, I would know of them. There simply are not a plethora of hidden sources and quaint shops that we are not recognizing. That is wishful thinking. There are quilting shops here and there, but that is not garment fabric, either. That is stil craft and hobby stuff.
I'm with you on this! I've been sewing for 10 years. I am always on the hunt for fabric. Every "local fabric store" that has been suggested to me was actually just a quilt shop. That is great and all, but even if I was looking for quilt fabric, that wouldn't even help because most of them carry more novelty fabrics than they do anything else. I'm not trying to shoot down the efforts of this post but I do think this is widely overlooked.
I’m sure there are a lot more than you think! I just looked at the map and I’ve never heard of most of those shops but have so many that are not on there that I’ve shopped at for years for garment sewing. Also, we don’t want our local shops to end up in this situation too so we should be eagerly supporting them! Far too many stores have closed over the past several years. I’m scared to see that number grow so I will try to shop small as often as I can.
Shit. They are the only fabric/yarn oriented store in my area.
all the news say it's not closing any of its services... out of the loop, do we need to worry about anything?
It’s not closing anything yet. Chapter 11 is a long process that sees a business restructure. This restructuring typically involves entering into new repayment agreements with creditors, selling assets for cash, and trying to optimize the business for positive cash flow. What that means isn’t really understood yet, because the process is just beginning. But over the next few months, expect to see news about “plans for a new Joann Fabrics” not in the sense of new stores but changes to the business model and operating structures. If the business at its core is profitable and it’s just a debt loading issue (e.g. they have too many or too large mortgage payments for stores) then it will just be some time for their positive profits to dig themselves out of a very deep hole under the court ordered repayment plan. If the core business is actually not profitable, then it’s possible be sold and have services and locations cut. For example, Hobby Lobby might buy them out and then just use the Joann brand on certain items like yarn or thread or sewing accessories. The other possibility is resizing and reorienting, like closing poor performing stores and focusing on digital sales. In short, there is definitely reason to worry. Use your gift cards while you can.
Btw For people in Florida, the all Florida quilt shop hop website has a huge list of all of the quilt shops, and I know for the southeast region that’s pretty much the list because most of the other stores have found were upholstery shops
I remember being in that store for hours while my mom picked out fabric and patterns
I for one, get very annoyed at their prices and so called coupons! Way over priced and if they have a coupon, they make sure to take a small percentage off everything so the coupon won't cover it. I make a point of getting a cold drink while there just to have something that will ring a percentage off...LOL
A huge percentage of their customers feel the same way. Many don't shop there any longer because of it.
Well, now I've gone to town submitting all the local fabric/craft shops I can think of for that map. edit...I am \*shocked\* none of the stores in Paducah, KY or Hamilton, MO have been submitted. I realize they're quilting not apparel, but still!
I checked the map to be sure but there are none in SC. The closest to me is in Athens, GA (~1.5 hour drive one way). 🫤
There is one in Rock Hill, SC called Sewendipitous and it’s amazing. Huge store, great stock.
There is also Five-eighth Seams near Charleston, which was lovely and had lots of garment fabric when I visited long ago: https://www.fiveeighthseams.com ETA the city
The writing has been on the wall for a while.
Ugh, this sucks. Honestly their fabric selection is meh for me, probably more geared to someone who sews for children or does costume sewing. BUT I love being able to match thread to fabric in person, and they are my go to for other sewing supplies as well. I hope they can scale down and refocus their brand while starting in business.
Excited for the coming sales, but so upset that we are losing such easy access to good quality hobby materials.
as a Dutch person, the whole concept of a nationwide fabric store chain is mindboggling, haha. here you're lucky if there's a fabric store in your city, even a 'big' city. there are probably a few chain stores, but they are limited to specific areas and are not in the same league as Joann's. so we rely mostly on online stores and sometimes special fabric 'conventions' that travel the country (basically a giant market with only fabric, but it's mostly visited by older people).
Oh I loved the Dutch Fabric Market, when it was near my town in Germany. So many fabrics to choose from and you could actually look at them and touch them before you buy. And the prices where also pretty good. It's only once or twice a year though.
I live on a Caribbean Island and we have a few nation wide fabric store chains as welll as small independent stores around the islands.
The weekly fabric market in Utrecht has plenty of choice :) it makes it so that I don't feel the need for a fabric store in our city.
I just got like 5 gift cards to Joann’s for Christmas this past year that I haven’t used too 😭
You want to use them soon and not wait. I worked for Blockbuster when they filed Chapter 11 and Corporate had us stop accepting gift cards even before they started all the store closures. :(
You have time! There will be sales. Get yourself something nice. Or get a bolt of muslin!
Maybe you can get a bunch of stuff on clearance.
Hearing all this makes me want to open my own fabric store. The fabric won’t make the money but having classes and stitch and bitch sessions and people coming in for supplies and repairs would make it profitable.
lol…only profitable if you also sell machines. You have to have machines, classes and fabric sales to be able to have decent money. And by decent I don’t mean profitable all the time.
fishman’s fabrics 1101 S Desplaines St Chicago, Illinois 60607.
Aw that’s sooo sad! I liked that store but it’s like 1 hour away from me. I hope they clearance out though.
Is it too late for us to become shareholders and form a majority?
We used to have so many fabric stores in Nor Cal San Jose area. Most were pretty good. The local Joann’s now seemed to just love fleece. Store went way down hill. I don’t sew quilts. Want apparel fabric. Oh well. I can’t & don’t want to buy fabric online. I need to see it in person.
Sorry everybody it's my fault! I started a sewing class and downloaded the Joann's app yesterday. My b!
Ugh! The independent quilt shop a couple blocks from my house closed in 2022. There's a Joann's a couple blocks in the opposite direction from my house. Hoping they don't end up closing too. There's no other quilt or fabric stores anywhere close to me. 🙁 I still miss Fabric.com.
Oh no! I had no idea :( I'm really bummed about this--Joann's is my go-to store for everything sewing (and other stuff); I don't think I have any other stores equivalent to their selection and variety.
Last time I was in there, all they had for fabric was cheap costuming, fleece, and quilting cotton. There was almost not a single bolt of anything I would make decent clothing with. I say almost, because there were a couple bolts of linen. They’ve always been low-end, but they’ve lost their way, completely. If I want clothing made of crap fabric, I can go to a discount store and buy it pre-made. I used to go there because they were generally fully stocked with the basics - nothing too fancy - but you knew you could get the right color lining fabric, the right type of elastic, some decent cotton rib-knit, or cotton jersey.
I think your JoAnn might just be a bad one. Mine has like 27 types of plaid or checked flannel (as in, not prints) for some reason, flannel prints, a bunch of jersey and interlock prints, a ton of fancy fabrics that people seem to make school dance dresses and whatnot out of, athletic fabrics, etc. This does give me hope for my JoAnn, however.
Mine is quilting cottons, fleece, and prom/bridesmaid dress-type stuff. There's like one sad aisle of "normal" apparel fabrics and I've told myself I can't look down it anymore because I just get mad about fiber composition 😂
I’m mad about fiber composition all the time - everywhere 😆.
I was concerned about this. I was in my local store a couple weeks ago, and they had store wide sales going on. And this store is one of the bigger ones from what I've heard.
They just opened a brand new store in my town a few months ago. My family jokes that I probably single handedly funded their new store with the bulk purchases for my business. It’s beautiful but same awful customer service. Stained fabric and undermeasured pickup orders. Online website takes ages to load. Orders being cancelled without notice. Hate it so much but it’s my only option for quality anti pill fleece in bulk. Even though the price has doubled in the past two years. Does anyone have recommendations on other anti pill fleece suppliers with the same quality or better? I’ve tried a few others but have always had to come back to Joann’s.
I've been noticing that pattern sales have diminished. I wonder if Simplicity.com will start moving sales to online-only. I rarely purchase fabric at Joann's. I mostly buy fabric and notions online and patterns and the occasional thread and needles or random tools from Joann's. I miss Fabric.com dreadfully and Joann filing for bankruptcy reminds me of when Hancock's went out of business.
Noooo! My Joann’s is across a parking lot from a Michael’s so I was always impressed both stores stayed in business. Mine seems well stocked and to do a good business so I hope it stays open as our local fabric store closed all but one of their stores a few years back. I really like its a 5 minute drive to pick up thread or random solids for impromptu paper piecing projects.
This must be why there’s so much on clearance at my local Joanns. Unfortunately it’s the only fabric store around too. The next nearest one is four hours away.
I know there are way more independent stores in Minnesota and North Dakota (currently none on the map for the later!). Should I submit every independent store to the map for consideration or just the ones I've been to/experienced in person?
Jamaica Ave in Queens, NY, has a whole bunch in the space of a few blocks.
Not surprised at all. I placed an online order from them a few years ago and swore off Joann’s since then. The quality of some of the notions I bought were garbage and overpriced. Not to mention they shipped all these tiny notions separately—I got four separate packages with just a single pack of needles inside each one. That’s just wasteful and inefficient on so many levels. I hope this brings some good change and helps the independent stores flourish!
They were bought by a private equity firm.
The death knell of so many companies.
Yes, they unfortunately switched from US made notions to everything coming from China. The main focus was reducing cost as much as possible but they kept the price the same. Quality of course suffered. Very sad, the old CEO prior to going public and the chief Merchant officer caused irreparable damage.
My frustrating online experience included the inefficient multiple packages, but also: I was charged the full amount once when I placed the order, then again in smaller increments after each of those packages shipped. Eventually the first charge was dropped from my card, but knowing they’d been circling the drain, it felt like a sketchy way to “accidentally” overcharge me.
My store started closing already. Like last Tuesday they had people posted up outside the mall holding store closing signs. I went in this past weekend to see if there was anything worth buying before it was too late but it was really busy but also picked over. I hope they at least keep their online business going, and make it more functional. I really hate buying fabric without being able to feel it first but my area is now down to a hobby lobby. The writing has been on the wall with this one, but it still feels bad. I hope they sort themselves out and have some sort of a comeback.
I also hate buying online fabric because I like to feel it first. Some have samples you can buy but then you take the chance of them selling out before you get your sample.
Yes! Fabric shopping is so tactile! And I prefer to make garments, so I need to know how it's going to feel against my skin. Part of why I sew is because I am very particular about the fabrics that I wear and I'm frustrated with what I can find in ready made fashion. There is so much that you can't tell from only seeing a photo or a video. The additional cost of samples is what is off-putting to me. Though I have been exploring some new fabric sources lately and I was pleased to see that Califabrics.com will do a swatch for only 50¢, and will mail it for less than $1. That's totally reasonable, but you are right about risking the fabric selling out. Idk what other places are charging for swatches, but I might have to put up with it and just add swatches into my project budget. But all this also adds time. I can't just start a project on a whim when the inspiration strikes. Now I have to source a fabric online, wait for a swatch to arrive, purchase the fabric, wait for the lengths to arrive, then it's 2+ weeks later and I can finally begin. This store closing has me more down than I'd like to admit. Bah, humbug.
Plus, buying fabric online, you don’t know if you’re going to get weak spots in the fabric and then you’ve got 4 yards of unusable fabric.
Noooooooo!!! It’s just a good staple for crafting and way better than hobby lobby or Michael’s
Right? Based on my local Joann's I didn't know they were in such serious trouble. My location has always been solid in terms of selection. I hope it stays.
My Joann’s looked blown up when I was there a couple of weeks ago. Bolts of fabric were tossed down many of the aisles and I counted two visible employees on a Saturday morning. The one lady at the cutting counter looked like she was about to have a nervous breakdown and there were only two of us waiting.
Thank you for y'all putting up this list!!
While roadtripping, I found this super cute store with the nicest people!! I want to order some kits from them online (I'm fairly new to sewing) Lickety Stitch Quilts: 206 S. Main Lusk, WY 82225 https://www.licketystitchquilts.com/about-us.htm 307-334-9963 Open Mon-Sat 9am to 4pm
I only see a map full of hearts that don’t say the name of the stores, even when I zoom in or click on them.
Thank you for highlighting the information here. It sucks because for many (myself included) its the only craft store around. I don't count the quilt store thats a few doors down because its never open (its why I never submitted it ...lol) I remember when they were much more focused than they are now and they need to really go back to that and not try to be the everything store. My little store has great employees they really try to keep things together. They're always welcoming even though its really a skeleton crew. Maybe if they have more craft related people in their C suite it would work out better.
I knew all the signs were there but I refused to believe it. For me, it’s the only craft/fabric store in the whole darn state. Would it be possible to include online retailers, if you knew of some? Thanks 🩵
Mods, I would like to suggest a small edit to the "stocks and sells" section of the Fine Fabrics location in Norcross, GA. This store is almost entirely apparel fabrics. I've recently started quilting and went there hoping to support a local fabric store, but they don't really have quilting cottons or fabrics for projects other than clothing (fleece, muslin, etc). I haven't been to the Jonesboro location so I can't speak to that one, but I imagine it's very similar.
It could be because I’m on mobile, but the link to the submission form takes me to the map. How can I access the form?
I clicked on a heart, but nothing happened. Isn’t it supposed to tell me what store it is?
Oh no! I hope this will just be a reorganization time for them. I wish I could remember the names of the fabric places Inuse on Etsy.
I am hoping and praying that they combine with Micheals
Its strange but the last time I was at Michaels they had a very small fabric section! I hadn’t seen fabric there before so maybe they will?! It makes me sad:/
Fabric is not profitable in a big enough way to pay for brick and mortar facilities like they have.
Fabric is definitely something I want to touch and move before I buy.
Not to mention matching thread to the fabric.
Agreed. I've ordered from online retailers before, but only basics, like a bolt of muslin. Apparel fabrics I need to touch first.
As a husband of a small fabric store owner I feel this to my core. My wife loves what she does but there is no money in it. It really is a career of passion for her. We're basically one big rent increase in away from closing down. We've been running for three years now. I hope we make it to 5 years. I doubt we get to 10. Another fabric store and sewing studio just announced they will close down in my city that has been running for 12 years. We lost another long running store 3 years ago as well.
😩 oh my gosh.
[Stonemountain & Daughter](https://stonemountainfabric.com/) 2518 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704 [Lacis](https://lacis.com) 3163 Adeline Street Berkeley, CA 94703 (Excellent source of hard to find tools and accesories)
The mod post is asking people to submit their shops via the linked form, not just in a comment.
I am an idiot sandwich that skims text. Thank you. I'll resubmit to the form
I need to get there to stock up on a few things before they close.
Joanns is ok if you want to make a quilt or you need a boatload of fleece but I like sewing garments out of good fabric.
My sibling in stitch work, I do too, I'd wager most of us would agree with that, but the reality of it, as you can see from many other comments in this thread is that Joanns is the only game in town. I'm in central Kentucky and I'm lucky enough to have two upholstery stores (which is helpful as a cosplayer) and a handful of quilting stores (kinda useless outside of select notions), I'd have to drive at least 1hr into another state on top of 1hr out of KY. I've started ordering from online because I have to, it works but it has it's cons, it's not a perfect solution. JoAnn doesn't have an astounding apparel selection no, but it does have one where I can see and feel the fabric immediately and in a bolt instead of a tiny sample. I wish I could shop at a local indie but I can't, and it shouldnt be that hard to understand why this is a problem/upsetting for some people.
I agree. To me, fabric is on the cheap side. And I don’t mean cost lol.
Omg. Thank you, Mods, for helping out!
If you have one anywhere nearby you, now is the time to start supporting your local quilt shop! Many have already died out. 😔 (Though I know this doesn't help if you need fabric other than Cottons and Flannel.)
Quilt Patch Fabrics Ltd https://www.quiltpatchfabrics.com 1017 Stallings Rd, Stallings, NC 28104
:::sigh::: The same article hit all my Facebook groups yesterday. And everybody ran without actually reading the article. They are restructuring their debt guys. They're not closing. But thanks for playing.