Elisabeth J

Years ago Late 60's I worked in the fabric dept at JC Penneys. It was a fairly good size dept too. Our store quit selling fabrics around 1972. I bet the gingham is real cotton. Polyster knits were just coming out when Penney's stopped selling fabric. I still have some J. C. Penney fabric in my stash.

gmaybee

When my mom sent me for sewing lessons in the 60s J C Penneys was one of the places we bought fabric. They quit selling fabric when they built the mall and moved there in about 1970. Our Penneys had a balcony that overlooked the main floor and it was all fabric and sewing supplies. That was a time when a lot of women sewed clothes and didn't do as much quilting as women today.

karenpatrick

Back in the 60s when I first took home ec in school, the local (Clinton, IN) Penney's was the only store to sell fabric. The cottons were 39 cents a yard. I don't know when they stopped selling fabric.

Jeanniejo

I know my mother bought fabric at JCP when I was a little girl. I thought it was so cool that they ripped the fabric instead of cutting it ! Maybe that's why I like to go to Mayy Jo's. Oh yea and all that wonderful fabric!!!!

pollyjvan9

About the only place I remember my Mother buying fabric when I was young was JC Penney, Sears and Wards and another dept store called John A Brown who had more expensive fabrics here in Oklahoma City. I also remember TG&Y but that may have been after Penneys and Browns stopped selling fabric.
I can't remember when they stopped selling fabric but I believe they all were still selling fabrics when My girls were small in the early 70's.

Betty Boop

Yes, JC Penny sold fabric until about the 70's. We lost our store and the fabric went with it. All other Penny stores quit selling material at the same time. They always had good fabric.
I also miss the store as I don't have one close enought to shop at.

Alice Woodhull

My mom made all her house dresses of Rondo print from Penney's. I remember they measured it by running it through the little gizmo that measured it. Three yards made her a dress. They took your money and put it in a little trolley thing that went to the office and then your receipt came back with your change. I wore many print dresses from there back in the 40's and 50's. Then Mom made quilts from all the scraps. I still have a couple of those.

grannie cheechee

Our fabric dept. was in the basement of Penney's. I can remember going there to buy the fabric in the 40's, and then buying for my children. Woolworth's, Kresgre's, Penney's, and a store named Spurgeon's were in the same block, if you couldn't find what you wanted in one of them, you went to the next block for Grant's or "Monkey Wards". Our Singer store didn't carry fabric.

supergma

They haven't sold fabric for maybe 40 years. It is a good bet that the gingham is cotton.

Maralyn

I remember buying fabric at Penney's to make my school clothes in the 60s.