JC Penney sold fabric?
02-05-2011, 02:38 AM
#232
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Southern California
Posts: 2,494
My first job was at a House of Fabrics. I believe it was called Sofro Fabrics on the east coast. A few months later my best friend was also hired at the store. There was a Penny's directly across the mall from our store, and a Montgomery Wards and Harris' store in the mall. A Mervyn's store was directly out side the mall. We made friends with all of the clerks in the fabric departments at these stores and we all shared our employee discounts when we made purchases in the fabric department. Then they opened a Cloth World a few miles away and my best friend hired on there, so we would be able to get a discount there too! I have such wonderful memories of these people and the fun we had together. One of the perks of working at the store was when the pattern companies discontinued old patterns. We would inventory the pattern numbers off of the envelopes and then the patterns would be discarded in the trash. Our store manager allowed us to take home any discarded patterns for personal use. I kept alot of the craft patterns and I still have many of them and still use them!
02-05-2011, 04:16 AM
#234
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Headed home
Posts: 2,372
Originally Posted by Marge L.
Originally Posted by CircleSquare
The only store that wasn't mentioned here was Winns. When my kids were small, in the early 70's, I bought fabric from Winns in El Paso, Texas, to make their clothes. We also had a TG&Y with fabric, and of course KMart. I don't know if Sears was still selling fabric then, because it was near downtown and I had no need to go that far any more.
Did anyone miss Spurgeons?
02-05-2011, 04:42 AM
#235
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Headed home
Posts: 2,372
Originally Posted by maria zamora
I lived in Brownsville, Texas till my 20s. The J C Penney's down town used to sell fabric. I remember they were of very good quality. When the malls came to town all the beautiful old buildings were left empty and the JC Penney's and other stores opened bigger stores at the mall. When that happened the fabric department was gone. I liked the old store better.
02-05-2011, 05:07 AM
#236
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Westerville, Ohio
Posts: 711
yeah, they sure did---first job I ever had was in the catalog department at JCPenney and they had a wonderful fabric/sewing department. It was back in the 60's & 70's. Ok, so now you can guess how old I am. Seems like another lifetime.
02-05-2011, 05:23 AM
#237
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: jacksonville bch
Posts: 2,065
Originally Posted by Quilt Mom
Originally Posted by Marge L.
Originally Posted by CircleSquare
The only store that wasn't mentioned here was Winns. When my kids were small, in the early 70's, I bought fabric from Winns in El Paso, Texas, to make their clothes. We also had a TG&Y with fabric, and of course KMart. I don't know if Sears was still selling fabric then, because it was near downtown and I had no need to go that far any more.
Did anyone miss Spurgeons?
02-05-2011, 05:41 AM
#238
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Cypress, Texas by the way of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Posts: 155
I am not sure of the exact year, but in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania it was in the early 70s. I was not a quilter then, but did stock up on fabric at a wonderful savings. Once I started quilting , sewing clothing became a thing of the past. But back then, all the department stores had a fabric department.
Donna
Donna
02-05-2011, 05:54 AM
#239
Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 51
I bought my home ec fabric and supplies at Penneys in 1971. I believe there was still fabric when I left for college in 76. 2 years ago I purchased a box of fabric from a garage sell. Inside was a piece of fabric with the Penneys tag date 1966.
brenda in MI
brenda in MI
02-05-2011, 05:59 AM
#240
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Mount Dora Florida
Posts: 1,235
Originally Posted by phatquilts2
Many of the department stores had a fabric section because home sewing was very popular back in that day. Do not remember when those fabric departments were banished.
Does anybody remember the measuring apparatus that was around six inches off of the table? The fabric was pulled through a slit and a round dial gauge with hands like a clock {?]or scale showed the yardage. Then the fabric clerk would push a lever which made a rip in the cloth. The fabric was then torn right in front of you and not cut with a scissors. In the rare instance that the print was all off grain you knew it right away. Anyway that was then and this is now, guess I am dating myself and a popsicle was a nickel. :lol: :roll:
Does anybody remember the measuring apparatus that was around six inches off of the table? The fabric was pulled through a slit and a round dial gauge with hands like a clock {?]or scale showed the yardage. Then the fabric clerk would push a lever which made a rip in the cloth. The fabric was then torn right in front of you and not cut with a scissors. In the rare instance that the print was all off grain you knew it right away. Anyway that was then and this is now, guess I am dating myself and a popsicle was a nickel. :lol: :roll:
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
butterflywing
Links and Resources
1
07-16-2009 03:34 AM
