I was in denial for several days and then I needed some instant gratification, or probably some thread, or a zipper so I naively drove to my beloved Hancock (where by the way most of the employees know me by name) and found the most disturbing site ever:
I literally sat in the parking lot, blinking back tears and pounded the steering wheel once or twice before I walked into the building.
I am so disappointed.
My awesomely fantastic local quilt store also decided to get rid of their fabric about 6 months ago so they could concentrate on sewing machines, accessories, and quilting supplies. No where I am going to shop when I need something NOW???
Do you ever have the need for a specific fabric, like right now? You need to finish a project or you have a project that is etched in your brain and you simply need to execute it, now, not later.
What's left locally? A rather blah quilt shop with more than blah quilting fabric and JoAnns. I have been burned by Jo's fabrics so many times I can't make myself shop their any more. I only go there when I know that Hancock's doesn't have my exact zipper that I need.
I feel like my sewing projects aren't going to be as much fun as I previously thought.
It isn't as though I don't purchase fabric on-line. I do MORE than my fair share of that. It's just that sometimes you need a bit more dark denim, or you don't have quite enough white/ivory knit to finish the project you had in mind. What is the sewing world at large going to look like 5 or even 10 years from now?
Thanks for listening. This purchasing locally thing has been on my mind lately and I am so disappointed that my local fabric shops seem to be closing their doors at an alarming speed.
What say you? Are you seeing this type of trend locally? Are you purchasing more and more materials locally?
Let's hope we always have sewing supplies to purchase either on line or locally.
Sue
I happen to LOVE my local Hancock. Great employees, great selection and close to home. I am very sad and disappointed to see them go.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I am so sorry they are closing. Dang!
DeleteWhere I live, it's Fabricland. I love it there. Clearance bolts, inexpensive zippers I every colour, Chinese produced (I presume) finishings. It's the beer and potato chips of the fabric. They do have some middle quality fabrics from time to time, but if I am being honest, most of my clothes are made with their wares. I do my best to only window shop online, and then even suck it up and pay a little extra to encourage my local quilt shop maintain their tiny quality apparel fabric section.
ReplyDeleteI feel for you. I'd cry if Fabricland closed. We all need to grow and cultivate our own apparel local community to serve our own habit. Other sewers mean other buyers, and that will support fabric stores locally. I hope your Jo-Anns will step up and fill your gap.
Thanks for your insights Heather...I hope JoAnn's will step up its game as well. I just makes me sad to see local fabric stores (ok, Hancock's isn't local, but you know what I mean) close its doors. Sometimes we all need to go see, feel, and even smell the fabric before purchasing. On-line purchasing can be fun, but it isn't the same.
DeleteSue
Where I live, it's Fabricland. I love it there. Clearance bolts, inexpensive zippers I every colour, Chinese produced (I presume) finishings. It's the beer and potato chips of the fabric. They do have some middle quality fabrics from time to time, but if I am being honest, most of my clothes are made with their wares. I do my best to only window shop online, and then even suck it up and pay a little extra to encourage my local quilt shop maintain their tiny quality apparel fabric section.
ReplyDeleteI feel for you. I'd cry if Fabricland closed. We all need to grow and cultivate our own apparel local community to serve our own habit. Other sewers mean other buyers, and that will support fabric stores locally. I hope your Jo-Anns will step up and fill your gap.
I feel for you! I used to go to a Hancock's when I visited family in Wisconsin and wished I had one here in Columbus. I always have to grit my teeth when I enter a JoAnns. I have to go there for thread, zippers, and other notions, but the cutting counter is an exercise in frustration. I remember one night I waited and waited while two clerks wrapped remnants. I complained to a manager who said that it was a rule to clean up and wrap remnants before waiting on the next customer. What? Aaaargh. I do have a local store that is actually growing, called Sew to Speak, and I am so happy to have them, but they don't carry everything--hardly any notions. When I was a teen, I worked at So-Fro, and that was a pretty nice fabric store, but JoAnns put them out of business decades ago. Ah well. At least there are online stores, but so far every piece I've bought online has been different than I expected it to be and has ended up in a different project from the one I originally bought it for. As you can see, I can go on and on! I do appreciate your blog and others because I get to see how fabrics and patterns work out before taking the plunge and buying them online. Thanks for your beautiful sewing! I have made a couple of the same tops after seeing yours.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad...I was upset a few years ago when Pink Chalk went out of business (it's back under a new owner but it's weird). JoAnns is my ONLY store, even here is very populous Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area. A couple quilt shops but their fabric is sooo expensive, and only cotton wovens. So I order online. Sigh. But I've gotten to know my favorites pretty well, which helps. E.g., Fashion Fabric Mart - iffy. Girl Charlee - great, helpful, dependable, love it. Fabric Mart - somewhere in between. :-)
ReplyDeleteI am with you in mourning the loss of my local Hancock's fabrics. It was very close to my home so very convenient when I needed a zipper or interfacing etc. It was always such a good "time out" for me to wander around its aisles touching fabric even if I didn't buy something every time. Also I really enjoyed the employees and we talked sewing together, sewing friends for me are few and far between, especially sewing friends who know about sewing apparel, those are even more rare! We have a local quilt shop, and its cute but it is a rare occasion when they carry apparel fabric. Joann's is about an hour away so I think I will begin to depend largely on purchases made online. I feel your pain!!
ReplyDeleteYou are not alone. I only have Joann's in my town and just buy thread and some notions because the fabrics are so poor. I have just started to buy fabric online and so far so good. But it is hard to be sure you will really like it. It is a leap of faith for sure.
ReplyDeleteYou are not alone. I only have Joann's in my town and just buy thread and some notions because the fabrics are so poor. I have just started to buy fabric online and so far so good. But it is hard to be sure you will really like it. It is a leap of faith for sure.
ReplyDelete