Elisabeth J

Our JCP stopped selling fabric in the early 70's. I worked there for awhile.

CRELLA

I think they did in the 40s an an maybe the 50s i believe you could order it from the cat.s

MaryLane

I saw this thread title this morning and had to chuckle. I had never seen a personal stash of fabric until I went into my husband's grandmother's sewing room when we were dating. It was unbelievable to me. She had worked in the JC Penney fabric department for years and years. She had 100s of yards of fabric she got for 15 to 25 cents a yard because of it being clearance and her employee discount.

The sad thing is there is a lot of it still in her basement rotting away because the family can't make a decision about what to do with her stuff.

My mother didn't drive so we walked everywhere. In the small town I grew up in there were two dime stores. Both carried fabric. As a matter of fact I still bought fabric from them in the 80s.

Nolee

I have a funny one to add. Our big grocery store here in NY, Wegmans, used to have a big fabric section in the early 70s. Imagine that!! I remember it was right by the big front window of the store. Wegmans has now grown huge on the east coast but fabric left in the late 70s. Always allowed a little part of the grocery budget for fabric Now the fabric budget can easily EQUAL the grocery budget (for others, not me!!!!!).

ShowMama

When I was growing up in the late 50s and all through the 60s, J.C.Penney was where my mother bought all her fabric. They had a complete fabric department with all sorts of notions, patterns, scissors, etc. I bought patterns and fabric there for my own clothes when I started sewing for myself at about 13. Unfortunately, the fabric department was phased out in the late 60s or early 70s. I sure miss those times.

Oh, and one cool thing. The Penney's cutting table had one of those measuring machines. The clerk would pull the fabric through the machine and it would measure as it went. When the meter reached whatever yardage you wanted, the clerk would press a little lever and the machine would "nick" the fabric edge. Then the clerk would cut or tear across the fabric from the point of that little cut. Wish stores still had those today.

Mona Marie

I remember getting fabric from them in the late 60's but by 1967 or so they were out.

sharisews

I do recall in the 1950/60 a JCP in Muncie, IN carried fabric. I believe my mother and I purchased fabric for one of my 4-H projects.

Sienna's GiGi

I just received several different gingham pieces that have JC Penney and made in Japan stamped on it.

Deanne

My mother used to buy fabric fro JC Penney's. At least up until the mid 60's.

raedar63

AHHHH the good old days when nearly every store had a "yard goods" department........