i have 4 walmarts available to me within 20 min. of me . i sure would hate for any of them to close their fab. dept. down. but i've all ready emailed them and let them know about alot of unhappy quilters they would have.

Debbie, as the wife of a diabetic, my heart goes out to you. I totally understand your current crisis and the stress you are undergoing. Please know you and your hubby are in my thoughts and prayers.

Debbie so sorry to hear about your husbands illness! I too will include you both in my prayers. Hope he's better by now.

I thought for a minute that our Walmart might be keeping some fabric because they had received new stock but, not any more I so relate to all of the situations you've all described. We do not even own a kitchen stove. We bought a $200.00 grill at Walmart, The same thing would have been $400.00 at Home Depot. We own the house but it needs so much work. Thank God My husband is a carpenter. However even with the free scrap materials he picks up from job sites we haven't been able to afford the electrician, electrical supplies or appliances yet to redo the kitchen on our current Income. I am job hunting as we speak. I would totally boycott Wallyworld (and other big box stores) If we could afford to pay $4.00 for a jar of mayo. I do already go elsewhere for meat just because WM Is not competing adequately with Albertsons , Rosaurs or Safeway in price or quality in this area.

I am looking for fabric more often at yard sales and thrift stores. I just bought around 30 yards of a variety of denim and light wgt. cotton for $5.00 at a yard sale. I was jazzed about that!:)

HolyMoly! I haven't been on here much, lately. Seems like a lot has happened. Our wal-mart is keeping its fabric for 5 years, until they remodel again. I don't even know if I'm happy about that anymore bc they don't care about the customers anymore.
Debbie: I hope you and DH are doing fine. You are in my thoughts.
I don't even know where to start on the subject of being poor. Things have actually improved for us over the past few years. (THANK GOODNESS!) BUT...it isn't about what kind of car we drive or how old it is...I mean...sometimes the old ones are the best! :D
I remember buying everything generic/cheaper so I'd have enough money left over to get an extra thing I needed. I still have to do that sometimes.
I remember when my DH worked AT LEAST 40 hours a week, and his paycheck was 167.23 each week after taxes! Those were rough times. I drove an 83 chevy truck after I had quit my job and sold my 85 Ford Escort! I didn't need a vehicle so much after I had no job! Thankfully gas wasn't priced so high then, but I only went out once or twice a week to my Mom's...mostly I'd ride out in the morning with DH, and he'd pick me up that evening. I did laundry at my Mom's bc we didn't have a washer/dryer! We had well water at the time that was really nasty orange with tons of iron, so just as well. We didn't even have a house phone! He had a bag phone (way back in the day), that we paid about $20/month for...we got an adapter that converted the cigarette lighter plug into electric and put an antenna on top of the trailer....as long as we watched our minutes, we were fine. We were under contract and couldn't afford a house phone and the cell.
We ate food mostly canned from our garden and deer meat that I canned. DH's Dad gave us eggs from his chickens.
I've been dirt poor. I was raised poor. I know how to make it, though, and I wouldn't trade that raising for anything. BUT...I also know that things can get better.
So, hang in there!

I consider it almost a hobby of mine to see how cheap I can get something I like! (Well, It IS a Hobby actually) Of course I do have my standards in certain areas i.e. the Great Value brand is mostly OFF my list no matter how cheap because In my opinion most of the stuff they package is just trash (usually were it lands after one or two bites. Of course this could become a diet strategy to just buy Great Value; I could fatten up my wallet and skinny down my belly at the same time :twisted: ) If Last Comic Standing ever comes to Missoula My act will be ready! :D

I live on the east side of Tucson, AZ and they have assured me that the fabric dept. is not closing. Sure hope not, I find my best selection of fabrics there and in fact in the 8 months I have been quilting I have purchased the material for all my quilts there. They always have what I want and the prices are so much better than Jo anns.

Jane
Tucson, AZ

I talked to our local manager last week after I fired off an email to the company. He told me that the fabric/celebration thing is in a test phase only and that the reactions of the customers and related sales will determine if it flies or falls. He also told me that since they eliminated most of the fabric in a couple stores in this area the fabric sales at our store have gone astronomically higher. Off the record, he says he thinks it's a big mistake, but he doesn't make the decisions.

Trisha in MO

Trisha do you have an email address for them? I don't know how to contact them except through the petition and I did that aleady. I don't mind bugging them. When I move in the next 2 years the only place I will be able to shop is the fabric stores. The closet wal mart has already closed their fabric section. There is a WM in Asheville, NC but I don't know if they have fabric. I am more worried about inexpensive notions than fabric. Matching threads to existing fabric, etc

Vikie:

If you go to http://www.walmart.com/ and go to the bottom of the page there's a "Help" section. Choose "Online Customer Service" and it will take you to a place where you can contact them by phone, email, or snail mail.

Trisha in MO

Thanks. I'll give it a try!
Vicki