I miss Jersey shore too, we used to vacation there every summer. Now I live north in Boston area and we are NOT having shore weather! We have only one Walmart near which still sells fabrics. The weird thing is that there is a Joann's just up the road which is always busy.

is that the joanns' you work at?

Hi Charleen, I live north west of Boston too, in Worcester county. How far are you from there?

I live in Norwell

[quote] yes it is.

[quote]Sorry, I meant north as in Boston versus PA/NJ

I tried buying fabric online 1 time. The color wasn't even close to what it looked like on the computer! I have bought a couple of kits & they are Ok but don't try to match anything! The tiny Joanns a couple of miles from me closed over a year ago. Now I go to one about 20 min away. It's not a Superstore but it's good & used to have a very nice supply/variety of Keepsake Calico's. Now, they have about 1/2 of that & the rest is Debbie Mumm & other 'designer' fabrics at 2-3 times the price! What a bummer! :? I have bought some at WalMart & if you look around, they have some very nice stuff! I only buy fabrics on sale at the quilt shops because it's so expensive so if Wal Mart and Joanns go out of business, I'm sunk! :( I hope it's not true. Joanns just about has a monopoly here in Mi since Hancock is gone. Good buying! Happy quilting! :D

Hi, the info about Joann's is Joanne Fabric, a fabric company which did close, Not Joann Fabric storees, Yes, the amount of Kepsake Calico has changed, there are several groups of very vibrant colors which have a good "hand" Coupons do come in very handy for those.

From what I have read its stores in Flordia (if memory serves me right. )they plan on closing some and next year opening new ones.
That happen here in my area (Austin TX) about 2 years ago they closed two small stores and then opened one big one, a year later they opened another a lot closer to my house. I dont think we really have to worry too much but time will tell. hancocks has done the same thing and walmart is closing out their sewing dept only in the slow moving stores. luckly mine is staying for now......
Tammy
Central TX.

Happy quilting.

Charlie, don't feel to bad about your weather....the Jeersey shore has been having rain, rain and more rain.........mj

Count your blessings that you live 45 minutes from JoAnn's. The closest one to me is in Las Vegas...2 1/2 hours drive on mostly 2 lane roads. It is a treat to visit my daughter in Phoenix and hit the JoAnn's there.

I've had good luck buying from online stores. One is located in my town and she has a fabulous selection. Her website is havasuquilt.com. This weekend she is having a 20% off sale on books and patterns and has sale fabric that is really nice. Her fabric is always top quality. Let her know I sent you if you order anything. I don't get a commission, but I think it is important she knows we are supporting her.

Chris G.

[quote] Yes, the weather hasn't been at all summer like for the northeast has it? I had to fly back from Orlando Tuesday through NY air space and fog on the ground at Logan, and yes, we were delayed.

sorry, I'm still new to how the quote thing works, I meant to quote your post and ended up quoting myself, not at all egotistical, eh?

Where do you find fabric 3-4 dollars,pleasetell me.!!!

My local Joann's is only about 5 miles away and booming. It's not a super store but I can't imagine it would be slated to close since I've spoken with the manager several times and been told they would like to expand in the area.

I live near Augusta, ME, the State capital, and yet Augusta has no quilting shops. There are two within 10 miles but I'm further north and have one close by and another larger store 60 miles to the north near Bangor, ME.

I buy all my notions at Joann's when they have the 50% off sale. I've been able to buy things I would be able to afford at full price and love the store but I do buy my fabrics at another quilt store further north.

Roberta

Yes, I have noticed that the less productive JoAnn stores are closing here in N. Calif. I actually went to a super store and found that it had closed, so it is not just the smaller stores.

Quiltator,
Go to hancocksofpaducah.com and see their sale fabrics. Also try craftconn.com...I have found some really cute stuff there and the prices are reasonable. Now a days we all need to be looking for bargains. Most of the online stores have clearance fabrics and if you look through them closely you might be able to find what you are looking for or at least add something to your stash.
Chris

I'm in FL and our Joanns moved and enlarged. It carries lots of material and several lines they didn't carry before. It's always busy, I can't see it closing anytime soon. I've just started buying material on line, I really like to feel the material, but the stuff I bought was very nice.

Kwhite, Thanks for you kind offer to send me some zippers. I have a supply of zippers on hand but needed a heavy duty brown one about 28 - 30" for the couch cushion slipcover I was making. DH and I were going to pass Joann's anyway so I going there was no problem. It's so nice of you to share your windfall with the quilters on the MB. May in Jersey

Been to Mouse Creek, very nice quilt shop with a good selection of fabrics and supplies. Gal who does my hair told me about this shop just before they opened as the owner is a friend of hers. Claire was very genrous and donated a ton of fabrics for the pillowcases my guild makes for kids in hospitals. Many of my guild members have taken classes there and some are learning to use the long arm quilting machine.

Charleen and Sandi, We often visit family in Rockland MA and I used to shop at The Fabric Place, another fabric store that has closed.

May in Jersey

Here's hoping you don't lose your local JoAnn's!! But if you do, try on line buying. I have never been disappointed with fabrics I've bought on line, and while part of the fun is handling them, placing pieces side by side - the whole total sensory thing, on-line buying has normally turned out less expensive for me........good luck!!

I LEFT ORLANDO ON SUNDAY BUT DROVE HOME. HIT TRAFFIC IN SC AND PULLED OFF EARLY FOR THE NIGHT. GAVE THE GRANDDAUGHTER AND DAUGHTER TIME FOR A NICE SWIM, A GOOD DINNER AND EARLY TO BED TO BE BACK ON THE ROAD THE NEXT MORNING.
DAUGHTER WAS ATTENDING A "SILENT WEEKEND" FOR THE INTERPRETERS FOR THE DEAF........
NEEDLESS TO SAY, GRANDDAUGHTER AND I DIDN'T GIVE UP TALKING AND WE FOUND A WONDERFUL QUILT SHOP THERE IN ORLANDO.
IT WAS WORTH THE TRIP !!!!!!!!!

MJ IN SPRING LAKE

TO May in Jersey...

Glad you also like Mouse Creek and we have another coincident ....
my hairdresser works part-time there now. She quilts as beautifully as she is talented with doing hair.

Maybe we might bump into each other some time while shopping. wouldn't that be a coincidence?

Have a happy 4th......to all you ladies reading emails this morning.
the crowds have already started invading the shore..good time to stay at home and sew.......

MJ in Spring Lake, NJ

TO...Tammy

This past winter Joann's closed in Fort Pierce to open one of their very large stores near Jupiter..at least another half hour's drive south.

There is also one of their super stores in Melbourne...a good 3/4 hour drive in the other direction.

It's a good time to go with friends and make it a full day with lunch along with the shopping.

Mj in Spring Lake, NJ

to may in new jersey

there is a wonderful joann's in heightstown. that's the princeton area. i don't know where you are, but it's about 40-45 minutes from me in central new jersey. it's right on route 1. if you want an exact location, pm me. i have their address somewhere. i also have a joanns right down the road from me, about ten minutes, and i won't go there if they give the fabric away (well, maybe then). i don't know how they survive. i can't imagine them all going under. some are brand new and terrific and crowded all the time. i make the trip to heightstown and it's worth it. when i go into manhattan, i allow extra time for the garment district. the rest is online. plan ahead for online sales.

The JoAnn's close to my house closed in February (4 blocks away) and moved to a Super JoAnn's location about 30 minutes away. I bought approximately 1.5K yards of cotton at 70 to 90% off during the 4 month sell-down. On the final day I took everything left that I could use at $.15 a yard (another 2.5K yards). I also bought all the ribbon for $.05 a spool. There were no "dreg" fabrics in either batch, and the last group included some home furnishing fabrics that I can use for other things (maybe 100 yards). Those I'll use for Walker Bags for the Veterans. The cottons will go for quilts and patient bags for them.
I wasn't fond of putting that kind of money out in such a short time, but because I fund my own sewing for the Vets it was worth it. I lived pretty lean those months while I was buying all that fabric. But sure glad I did it.
I'm not happy with the new "Super" store. It's mostly crafts and the fabric section is smaller in proportion to what was in the old store. I don't have a problem with the fabrics because if I want quilt shop quality, I expect to pay more. I find that even in the LQS I have to look carefully at the quality of the fabric now. The only other fabric store in the area is Hancocks and the store has a musty odor, and most of the ladies who work there are anything but friendly.
So, I will remain faithful to JoAnn's where everyone is friendly and helpful, and still has the best coupons around. They honor Michael's and A.C.Moore's coupons, and if the item is on sale already, they even give me my AQS discount.
I don't believe they're going out of business any time soon. My two cents - for what it's worth.

wow that is the first i have heard of this !! :( i hope not all of our small quilt shops in town have closed up and jo anns and hancocks are the only thing left !! i asked at jo anns if they were closing and the girl told me she didnt think so she had not heard i dont know if maybe they dont tell the help in advance or if they are not one of the chosen to close i will be sad abd so will many others if this happens they always seem to be busy when i am there

I understand that only some of the JoAnn's are closing. I was in our local shop a couple days ago and asked the checkout lady there if they were closing. Was told no, not their store, in fact, they were getting a lot more merchandise in and are making room for it.

I can understand this in our area as Wal Mart has discontinued their fabric department. Now when we want a zipper or elastic, we must go to JoAnn's.

Butterflywing, The Joann's on Rt. 1 is the one that I went to this week for the long zipper I needed. One of our DGDs is waitressing at The Blue Rooster Cafe in Cranbury during her summer break and DH and I went there for lunch on Tuesday, charming little cafe. Anyway, on the way home we took Rt 1 for part of the way so I could stop at that Joann's. Not sure what town it is in. DS#2 and family live in E. Windsor and we often have lunch with them at one of the restaurants on Rt. 1.

PS: Looked at your profile, I'm from Brooklyn too. Been in Jersey for almost 50 years but still say I'm from Brooklyn. LOL! May in Jersey

It's been interesting reading everyone's comments on JoAnn's. We used to have one here (I'm close to Worthington, MN), but it closed when WalMart moved in. I still miss JoAnn's, because I spent a lot of time (and money!) there. Fortunately, we have a great LQS, and our local WalMart, even though they have downsized the fabric department, still does have fabric, but for major projects I head for my LQS.

don't you love that joanns? that's the best one i've ever seen.

my father owned a stationary store in manhattan and we lived in a co-op in brooklyn in between sheepshead bay and brighton beach. the area that i lived in still looks exactly the same, except the building went condo.i've lived in jersey (a brooklyn expression, right?) for 40 years and still say i come from from 'new york'. my son moved back there when he got out of college. he was very familiar with brooklyn by visiting both sets of grands and being taken to every cultural event that manhattan has to offer, as well as different ethnic communities, something that you couldn't really reproduce here while he was growing up. you still really can't. he hates suburbs, a real city boy. since he is an electrical engineer for the metropolitan opera, building stage gadgets that make things move around on stage, nyc is where he'll stay.

where in brooklyn do you come from?

Butterflywing, Yes, that Joann's is great, lots of space to move around in, plenty of fabrics to look at and it's always so neat, something my local one isn't at times.

I lived in Park Slope most of my life before moving to Jersey, went to Prospect Heights High School. We lived on Ocean Parkway for a few years and I always dreamed of going to Lincoln High.

See where your son enjoys city life. We try to get to 'the city' (Manhatten for those not from NYC) for shows, museums, meeting a friend for dinner, etc. Think we'll be there this Sunday if the art show is still in Washington Square. It's pretty empty in the city summer weekends, we can even find a free parking space. Small world isn't it! May in Jersey

i went to lincoln hign school, graduated 1960. on to pratt institute for fashion design and pattern making. got married, but eventually finished up.

my son and dil are looking for a house in bay ridge as we speak. they are here this weekend (metuchen).

what small world.

what town are you in now?

Fort Smith, AR lost theirs before I moved here. But I do not think the business as a whole is faultering. A couple of years ago, back home in Massachusetts, they built a brand new, very large one about 7 miles from us. I don't think they would be putting that much money into a failing business.

agree

Went to Joann's in Brick, NJ today and couldn't believe my eyes.
........almost everything there was on sale. Whether it was because of the
4th holiday, I am not sure...but there were some very big sales....50%, 60% and 70% off...

Looked a bit questionable after reading about all the ones you ladies have said closed recently. Sure hope this on isn't on it's way out.
mj in NJ

how long will the sale be on?

Hello, I am new at this so I hope that you get this. I use to use 22 inch zippers and after reading your posting I went and looked to see if I had any left. I have one 22 inch in wine color. Not sure if you can use that color but you are welcome to it. It you can use it email me at [email protected]. I am in Texas and they have closed a couple and reopend JoAn's Superstore. The stores are really nice and carry everything.

Doria223

to butterflywing

It was a four day holiday weekend sale...so it's too late to take advantage of it..I got there just in time.

I bought a package of CLIP RINGS (among other things). I like them for quilt hangings rather than having to put a sleeve on the quilt.......makes it easy..and I''m all for the easy way out !!!!!

have a good day......
MJ in NJ