DH said he heard that JoAnn's is going out of business. Oh Please, Say it isn't so! It's the closest thing to a quilt shop near me, about 1/2 hour drive. I need some 22 - 24" zippers, Michael's and AC Moore near by don't carry them so off I go to JoAnn's. I usually try to combine a trip there with other errands along the way, with the price of gas it's the thing to do. Nearest quilt shop is over 1 hr away and that's driving 70 miles per hr. on the parkway for most of that time and paying tolls. When I go to Lancaster in the Spring I stock up on fabrics that I need and if Jo's closes I'll also have to stock up on threads, zippers, and other sewing notions. Oh batting too, as Jo's no longer carrys Hobb's batting that I like. They do have rolls of Warm and Natural cotton and a Warm and Natural poly (can't think of the name right now). I think I'll double check my coupons before I leave and stock up on a few things while at Jo's this afternoon. DH will be with me and I'll have him use a coupon and buy something for me. Sometimes the cashiers will let you use multiple coupons when checking out and sometimes they won't.

May in Jersey

I've heard rumors about some of the smaller stores closing, but that the larger superstores will still be open. Where I live there's one small local store and 2 superstores east and west of it, either one's about 10 miles away from here. It'll sure make things more difficult for me...but I guess I can understand why they could close my store. The economy's awful.

It's funny you mentioned this, my DH said he saw on AOL yesterday that they were closing some stores. I tried to find the article, but didn't have any luck. Where in New Jersey are you located? I was in Bergen County for 37 years. A really nice quilt store opened in River Edge about a year before we left.

Where I am now, I have two Joann's, each about a 45 minute drive.

JoAnn's near me isn't a Super store, so it might be on the hit list to close.

Vicki, Nice to see another Jersey girl here, even though I wasn't born in Jersey and haven't been a girl for 50 years or so. I live in Monmouth County, center of Jersey along the eastern coastline - it's where The
Shore begings.

For all you non-Jersey quilters, in Jersey we don't go to the beach we go to The Shore. May in Jersey who keeps far away from The Shore from Memorial Day to Labor Day - the traffic is terrible especially Thursday nights to Monday mornings. We usually plan our weekends away from that area or to Manhattan which is pretty empty summer weekends or to visit family in Brooklyn, all the opposite way of the heavy traffic. Bugs us to no end as after Memorial Day our gas prices take a big jump and we pay higher car insurance rates during those months because we live near "The Shore". May in Jersey `

the joann's near my home closed years ago and the only other one we have is an hour away and it certainly has the air of closing down any day now.

Out here, they slowly seem to be closing and re-opening as JoAnn-Super Stores.

Do you think the online store will go out?

no i think their online is the only thing making money.

the fabric at joanns and walmart near me have nothing but cheap fabric. the thread count is so low and loosely woven.

th plaids and stripes aren't even printed straight on the fabric forget about being printed on the straight of grain.

It's funny that if you go to Investor Relations on the Joann's site it mentions nothing about stores closing or going out of business. http://www.joann.com/joann/about_joa..._investors.jsp

Our Joann's is a small one and it recently was updated and is getting in new merchandise all the time.

All of their fabric is not bad. It's like all fabric stores, you have to know what you're buying and the quality that you are looking for.

I think we should really do our due dilligence and investigate before buying into rumors. Some stores may be closing in some areas but that certainly does not mean all.

Ive collected all my gadgets with Joann coupons so have quite a collection now.
I have been doing all my fabric buys on line. The prices are so good.
And it is quality fabric with name brands, even with shipping it is cheaper than the shops charge.
I miss not feeling the fabrics but it is fun to shop on line.

i'm like you, i use the coupons for notions and i buy all my fabric from various online stores.

fabric by me costs $10-$12 a yard and i can buy it for $3-$5 a yard online.

its sad because my favorite LQS has gone out of business but this is a common problem for any brick and mortar business and the prices online.

My DD born and raised in Indiana now lives in Manhattan.
It is funny to hear her say she is going to the "shore". To us the shore is the edge of the lake where we stand to fish. :lol:

I found this:

Jo-Ann Stores expects to close about 30 stores by the end of January 2009.
That’s five more stores than it originally planned.
A company press release did not specify which stores it will shutter. The company, which has 772 stores, could not be reached for comment.

I guess they are adding more store closing now.

May- I live in NE PA and we go to "the Shore" all the time. :)

We are inundated with all the NY and NJ folk who find living in PA and commuting to NJ to work is so much better.

I agree with the gas prices- guaranteed to spike in the summer.

We're staying home this year- 2 weddings and DD & family coming home for 2 weeks from Japan. As much as I love the beach, it has to wait a year for the savings account to recover.

You are so lucky to live there! I hope to retire a spinster (ok, so I was married, but I like the word) on the beach, writing poetry and my memoirs and quilting my last days on earth. Probably won't happen, but I can dream!

The Joann's I go to used to be small and they moved it and made it a Superstore but it is still pretty small compared to another one I go to once in awhile. If they would get rid of the doodads they could carry a lot more crafts and fabrics.

i kid you not ... i told a friend of mine the very same thing just the other day.

hmmm ... i wonder if that's why i don't go to frolic oceanside anymore. i've lived in the south for 30 years now. going to the beach just ain't the same. :lol:

My mom talked to the manager at her local Wal-Mart who was supposed to get rid of their fabric and ended up keeping it. Anyways he told her that Wal-Mart bought out Joanns. I told her I haven't heard anything but that is what he told her.

that's a rumor. it's been circulating for a few years now.

if walmart owned Joann's they'd be on every corner! :lol:

Found this

[quote]

Jo-Ann Fabrics shifts into Chapter 7 liquidation
WILMINGTON, Del. -- A federal judge has approved Jo-Ann Fabrics' request to convert its Chapter 11 bankruptcy to a.

Hi May in Jersey, I'm from Jersey (Jersey City) and I miss going down the Shore! Brings back memories... Especially the traffic on the parkway, goodness, How did we ever make it :D

When I was visisting a few months ago, I couldn't find a JoAnn's nearby or any quilt shops. Had to go to the City but was too expensive. Next time I'm going to do more research.

Monday I read an article stating JoAnn's was going to be closing down 30-stores and are building 20-new stores.....


I had a major ordeal over the ton of fabric I ordered on Black Friday last
year; and since I know the guy that runs our JoAnn's real well I went and explained it to him so I could get advice ion how to proceed. I was shocked when he told me the stores are not part of JoAnn's online they are actually 2-separate companys.

The JoAnn store near my house is pretty big, although more space is devoted to home dec stuff, floral, and other crafts. They do carry some better looking fabrics, the Kona I got there recently was actually less ravelly than the stuff I got at my LQS. Yes they do have some pretty ratty stuff, but just as much good stuff.
I also make clothing, and I have noticed that most of the clothing fabrics are polyester, although I got some really nice linen / rayon blend at a good sale price.
But I go there most often with my coupon, seems to be a personal goal for me to own every ruler every made. I also get a lot of books there, my Joann has a really large quilting book section as well as a pretty good selection of knitting books. I have noticed that magazines are always 10% off so you can never use a coupon for them.

Crafty 1, Yes it's hard to find a quilt shop even in a city the size of Jersey City. Nearest one to me is about an hour south of me in Forked River. Great fabrics and assitance but I only make the trip when I am planning a new quilt. May in Jersey

May PM me your addy and I will send you some zippers. I have tons from a great deal I got at an auction a few weeks ago. I have been sending them all over the country.

If you need zippers and can't find them, I order them from

zipperstop.com

I just bought special 120 inch zippers to make headers for my quilting machine. They are great.

Makes me sad to hear about JoAnns. We only have a little store. It is the only regular fabric store. The quilt shops are so spendy.

Mumz from Utah

The JoAnn in bankrupty ius not the same JoAnn in stores and online. The bankrupt is JoAnn Fabrics.
Hearing all the talk about the shore makes me miss Jersey all the more. Was born and raised in Jersey and have lived in Indiana for over 30 years now. Grandparents lived in Sea Bright for years and I was at shore many many times during the summer. Remember the long lines of traffic of people coming from "The City" as my grandparents used to say. Also remember hearing them complain about stores, gas, etc. raising prices in summer and forgetting the locals who used them during rest of year. Sure do miss the salty air of shore.

For all you gals who miss The Shore, I'm going to take a deep breath of the salty air for you, enjoy a sausage sandwich from one of the stands and then later a creamy custard cone. Sure wish you could join me, May in Jersey

ahh, the calories, ENJOY! Take a sniff for me.

It's also "DOW" to the shore no matter from where one is coming. I also live along the Jersey coast......and also fight the weekend crowds...but we have those crowds most all the summer. I live in Spring Lake.are you close by?

the Joann's for me are about 12 miles south or we must goabout 20 to the north. Have you been to Mouse Creek Quilt shop in Monmouth County (on the border of Ocean Cty) on Route 9 in Howell? Very nice shop and lots of classes.

Ask for Claire...talk again soon.....mj

OOPS....it is DOWN to the shore...missed a typo key.........

There was something about the salty air - after the long drive down the shore, getting out of the car and smelling the air. Ahhh, memories!!! :D

I live in the middle of NC and have never been to a Joanne's or even seen one. are they only in certain parts of the country?

For what it's worth... I haven't heard that any of the Jo-Ann's in NY are closing. We did have one local store that closed last year; there are still three more nearby.

Gosh, I hope they don't close ours!!!! It's the ONLY place you can buy things like zippers! We have a Hancock's but it's pathetically small and doesn't carry hardly anything. wow! [[[Pray]]]

Hi, could you send me the URL on that announcement?

I did see they are in Chapter 11. But then who isn't in this economy

Oh, I sure hope not. Ours just opened and they sure do a business.
We waited a long time for one again. There was one about 20years ago and that went out and now is back.
mej in WI

Are you talking about Joann Fabric and Craft Store or another Joann's? About a year ago it ws erroneously reported on chennel 5 (Boston area) that one of the stores was closing and it wasn't. Where is it stated that Joann's is in chapter 11? Is that what you meant/ Their stocks are near $20 and they keep opening stores.

Another "Jersey Girl" checking in. I'm in Hudson County (Giants Stadium, Lincoln Tunnel to NY) and we have NOTHING. The closest Joann's is about an hour away. Friends and I have written suggesting this would be a good area for a new store, especially following the closing of Rag Shop. There were 3 in our area and they were always busy. We all got the same response -- they are concentrating on areas where there is no Walmart fabric department. Well the local Walmart stopped carrying fabric and sewing supplies and still nothing from Joanns.

Someone mentioned a nice LQS in River Edge. It's "COZY QUILT SHOP" on Kinderkamack Rd. just off Rte 4. It's excellent, but of course a LQS can't carry every notion, including non-quilting ones, so there is still a need for a store which addresses the needs of all sewers, not just quilters.

Wish you all a Happy 4th, and wish I were going DOWN THE SHORE!!!