juliasb

I miss them a great deal. My wedding dress fabrics were purchased at a Singer fabric store and I know I still have some fabrics around here from House of Fabric. We also had Hancock Fabrics and of course they too are gone. I still have fabrics from them. Ben Franklin was fun. I remember buying my first fabric for $.35/yd. at a Five and Dime in our town. We still have one competitor in our area and that is Hobby Lobby. The closest LQS with fabric is about 20+ miles from me so I don't get there. Now I purchase most of my fabrics on line where I am able to still get some good quality fabrics. It was nice to go to the local Mall and browse all the beautiful fabrics and just smell the freshness of the new fabrics.

QuiltingVagabond

How about Monique Fabrics? My first job at age 16 was at one of those. I feel like they were also a division of So-Fro/House of Fabrics? This was in southern Indiana in the early 70s.

institches33

Not only did we have 4 fabric shops in Randall Park Mall, but there were at least 6 manufacturers in the area that had outlets for the most wonderful fabrics. There was Jerri Laurie, Bobbie Brooks, Dalton's, The Woolen Mills and the rest of the names escape me, but shopping for fabrics and supplies was heaven.

mmunchkins

Minnesota Fabrics and House of Fine Fabrics.

klswift

Joanns in Torrance California is in the Del Amo mall. This makes it the largest (physical size) Joanns store in the country. They bought out the old Broadway (remember them?) 2 story store, closed off the escalator and leased out the upper level.

klswift

Unfortunately the fabric content is such that you can't risk tearing most fabrics. Even if it says 100% cotton, they will at times tear crooked. That is why we never risk tearing a customers fabric. And, of course, poly will just rip any old direction. I also was taught on the machine that cut the tiny clip and then you tore it at Newberries. Wow, does that show my age!!!!

Iceblossom

I remember House of Fabrics. I think before Joann bought it the location I go to was "Best" fabric.

In the early 1980s I worked at the Pacific Fabrics in Anchorage, Alaska. I still have a piece or two left in the collection from back then but it took about 20 years to work through most of what I bought while I working there. We didn't have a lot of choices for fabric back then, but I remember getting a lot of stuff at Fred Meyer (which was brand new there then). I don't remember what was in the mall near Sears but I used to go and drool at the sewing machines (at Sears) when I was still a teen My first major purchase after leaving home was a good sewing machine.

I bought the fabric for my first quilt from the Montgomery Ward catalog.

icecreamwithdrawal

I not only remember House of Fabrics, I'm ancient enough to remember Stretch & Sew! I had forgotten about ordering fabrics from Sears & Monkey-Wards catalogs. What a trip down Memory Lane!

Ranchwife

I remember House of Fabrics. Way back when I was a kid doing 4-H sewing, I spent many hours in House of Fabrics and JoAnns. I was sad too when they went out because choices of fabrics in our area was cut in half at that point. It didn't take long after that for the quality of JoAnn's fabric to become horrible. I don't know what I would do now if I was sewing garments - the fabric quality and selection at JoAnn's in bad. You can't even find pretty wool/wool blends anymore there.

trolleystation

I did a lot of fabric shopping in Penney's and Sears and Montgomery Ward. My girls would pick out the fabrics they liked and I would order it and then makes their school clothes.