Fabric from JoAnn
 

Are fabrics pretty consistent from one JoAnn to another? I'm working on a project for a long distance friend of mine and I think the easiest, fastest and most cost effective way to get the fabric would be for her to go to her local JoAnn store, pick out what she likes, send me pics and and/or #'s and then I will buy it at mine. But I'm not sure if the fabric sold at one store is the same as that which is sold at another.

My observation is that a lot of fabrics from JoAnn's is regional, what you find at a east coast usually won't be found on the west coast, etc., etc.

There are some differences in color ways and such and what sells better in one area than another, but it is all the same lines of fabric. Also each store has a slightly different clientele, but corporate makes a lot of the decisions over who gets what and pretty much everyone gets the same base stuff. The dye lots should be pretty much the same, the printing, treatments and greige goods (the raw fabric) should be the same.

So long as you can find the same fabrics, they should be the same fabric. But someone might have come in to your store and bought all the bolt and so it might not be there.

Can you compare notes from the online shop?

PS: Obviously, they aren't going to sell much Seahawk fabric in Dallas or Philadelphia. Sports team fabrics especially will be pretty closely regionalized.

I only make purchases at the local stores here and I have 2 stores that I am in between. So What I do if neither have what I need they will search within the region. I don't know if you can request shipment from one region to another but you may be able to do that. Or have your friend get the fabric and ship it even though it would be a hassle you can ship about 9 yards in a padded USPS envelope for $8.40. I do it frequently.

Thank you!!
We're both in the northeast so as far as region we should be okay. That's a good point about being sold out though. Time is of the essence with this project so I'm hoping we can do it this way. At the beginning of covid I ordered thread from JoAnn and some of it took over a month to get to me! Hoping their shipment times have improved since then if I do have to order on line. Or we will figure something else out.

Jo Ann fabric
 

have your friend take a photo of the ends of the bolts and send to you along with a fabric photo. Then you can get a good match.

Yes, a Keepsake print in one store will be the same as another. The variance comes from one Keepsake to another. If she's satisfied with the feel of the fabric and sends you good directions, you should be fine. Yes, I know JA has other lines, but Keepsake was the name that came to mind. On solids, you will need the bolt end. JA has some that aren't wonderful.

i can't speak to regional selections but i have notice there's a wide range of "niceness" in the fabrics sold at Joann's.
i won't buy online from them for that reason.

luckily i have a few friends who are JF fans so i'll sometimes go along for the ride when they're planning a trip to shop there. it's at least an hour to the nearest in either direction so we make a day of it.

i usually leave blissfully empty handed, but have been known to drop a wad and score a cart full if i stumble across an irresistible sale on the right fabrics.

It might be easier for her to check joannes on line then you can order exactly what she picks out if you want to use fabric from joannes

I was going to suggest the same as ckcowl. I was in the JoAnn's nearest me yesterday. It was the first time I have been in one since this whole Covid thing started, and wow is all I can say. Talk about empty. I asked one of the ladies that works at the store a question, and her reply to me was that their inventory did not match with online, in other words, if online tells you there are *four* in the store you pick, it won't be accurate. I was in total awwww at how empty the fabric department was, lots of empty fabric bins. So your friend can pick out fabric as you suggested on her local JoAnn's, but there is no guarantee it will be available at the JoAnn's nearest you. Ckcowl has a very good suggestion, shop online for better chance of getting the product.
​​​​​​