# Closing it down



## Fae (Mar 9, 2005)

I knew it would happen since they have closed so many of their fabric departments but Walmart is closing their fabric dept. at the store I mainly use in august. The closest fabric store to me now will be Mobile. They have their fabric 50% off so I am buying a lot while I can get it and trying to plan what I need to make. I have just about stopped shopping there but now I will stop completely. We had several fabric stores within 30 miles before walmart moved in and put them out of business.


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## Country Lady (Oct 2, 2003)

Our local WalMart still has fabric right now, but the Hancock's 30+ miles away has moved into a larger location and is a really nice store now. I've stopped buying groceries at WalMart. I've found they are higher than some other stores on a lot of things I normally get. I remember whenever the Super WalMart opened, a neighbor said he was afraid they would put small businesses out of business with their low prices, then jack their prices up. I've found some truth to what he said.


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

no walmarts near me carry fabric anymore...I seldom shop there. I WON'T buy food there anymore! Every single time I try to buy groceries there I come home with something I have to return cause its bad...milk that's sour as soon as we open it, a rotten bag of chicken..you name it. Its just not worth it when I can get low prices elsewhere and have better quality. The craft dept at the ones near me are pitiful excuses for crafts too.


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## Fae (Mar 9, 2005)

CountryLady, that is definitely true here. The prices have been increasing for the last couple years and moreso in the last several months. I went back to my hometown grocery store years ago. I did buy fabric from them a lot though because they were the only place around that sold it. Now I don't have a need to go there at all.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

I buy online and nearly always get a good deal. I will NOT shop at walmart.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

The local Walmart is now in the same remodeling process. They say they will continue to carry fabric but not as many. My sister says her Walmart said the same thing and all they have now are precut pieces in plastic bags. I lucked out when they had their sale and bought 22 different fabrics in pieces from 1 yard to 6 yards all at $1 per yard. I was told when the sale was to start and was there waiting while they finished marking down so I had first choice! I later went back and bought some additional pieces that I decided I liked after going home to think about it. I was lucky they had anything left.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I was visiting a WM several hours from my house - not a super center - they had fabric still. I haven't been to a WM with fabric in over a year. These were the same fabrics as before. Nothing new. I buy most of my fabrics online now also - as well as at JoAnn's with the 40% off coupon each month.


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## farmwoman59 (Aug 7, 2008)

One of my local WM's closed their fabric section when they remodeled earlier this year, the other says they will when theirs is remodeled. Even though Hancocks is about 10 miles further I will go there when they have 50% off of their Absolutely Cotton brand. I'm tired of WM's monopoly. I can do better with toiletries at CVS with their EBC program and I shop sales at my local gro. store.


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## Fae (Mar 9, 2005)

Could some of you post where you buy fabric on-line.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

I'm sure others will post here, but there is a sticky about buying fabric online at the top of this forum.

I've used www.hawaiianfabric.com
www.infofabric.com
www.sunshinesewing.com
www.fabric.com

But there are lots of places online, I will be looking to see what others post in reply to your question.

Sorry about that Walmart doing that. I have one here that use to be a bustling area, and now is just gradually dying - the store has not remodeled yet - but it's dead.

There is one across town that still has a fabric dept as we use to remember, it's closer to work anyway, so I go there and get some stuff. 

but I'm usually going to Hobby Lobby with 40% coupons, or they have most cottons 30% a good bit of the time; or Hancock's with coupons - but the cotton is about 30 - 40% off many times, so it ends up being about the same price as Walmart's cotton.

And one day, I'm going to online purchase from Hancock's of Puducah 
they have lots of goodies.

(and there's a couple of quilt shops with fabrics around here that I go to for the good stuff).

Angie


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## Fae (Mar 9, 2005)

Thanks Angie. I guess I need to look at the stickies more. I like to go to Hobby Lobby and Hancocks when I go to Mobile but lately that is only if I can't get out of it.


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

Sewing/fabric shops have disappeared in droves over the last couple of decades or so. When DH and I were first married, there were 12 sewing/fabric stores locally. Now, there is only one Hancock's (which is THE most unorganized, messy shop I've ever been in), JoAnn's, and Hobby Lobby (mostly quilting fabrics in both stores here).

The sad fact is that businesses can stay in business only when they're selling enough product to stay open. As the years go by, fewer and fewer people make their own clothes and it's becoming a lost art...too many find it easier just to run to the mall and grab something off the rack for a host of reason.

As for online fabric stores, I've yet to order from one because I can't put my hands on it first. The swatches shown online are too small for me AND subject to the monitor's colors.

Gonna have to eventually give it a whirl, though.


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## PonderosaQ (Jan 12, 2004)

Our Walmart will be closing their fabric dept, except for pre-cuts later this year as well.
However, one of their employees has seized the opportunity and is opening a fabric store later this week in our very small town. Several small quilting shops within 50 miles have gone out of business. She was told by each one it was due to age/illness etc not lack of business and she bought up their entire stocks. I have also learned even nice quilting fabric is not expensive if you buy it direct from the mills and is even cheaper if you buy their discontinued styles or part bolts.Perhaps others will see this a chance to re-open small town businesses. We can only hope and dream!


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## deb (Jul 27, 2002)

Our local WalMart stopped carrying fabric last year. I do most of my fabric shopping at an Amish owned store. The store owner only buys quality fabric and the prices are very very good. 

The owner is trying to expand the store, but the only problem is finding fabric manufacturers and wholesalers willing to work with her as she doesn't have electricity, computer or phone. Manufacturers are moving/have moved to posting images of their new fabrics online instead of having a sales staff or mailing samples to stores. She doesn't like buying bolts of fabric without seeing/feeling it and I agree it is risky way to stock her store. I took her up to Minneapolis earlier this summer to the International Quilt Suppliers Market and was able to go in as her "assistant". :icecream: I saw more fabric there then I have seen in my whole life! She was able to place a lot of orders and I can hardly wait until the new fabrics come in. I know she will have to add more shelves for the quilting cottons. 

If you live near an Amish community, you should ask if they have a fabric store. You may be pleasantly surprised at the selection & prices of their fabrics.

Deb
in WI


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## sewing nana (Oct 18, 2002)

I found a quilting store in Camden Tn. Quilting Bee... About a hour from me... Open tues-sat. Love going there. DH doesn't mind either. He can have chicken wings from down the street.. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Camden-TN/The-Quilting-Bee/114156591929609 I don't think they have a web page. I couldn't find one. This is what I did find..
Location:
235 Highway 641 North
Camden, TN, 38320
Phone:
731-584-1080
Tues - Fri:
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sat:
9:00 am - 2:00 pm


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## Browncoat (Jun 8, 2009)

After reading this thread, I decided I'd ask my local Walmart if they were going to close their fabric department down, since they're the only one in the area that's left. The very unpleasant lady at the counter said that if they did, it would be in two years, when they remodel. NOT looking forward to it all all! Of course, their current selection of fabrics is lousy at best. I've found a local yarn store for my knitting/crocheting supplies, but if I want fabric I already have to go to a large chain store in a nearby city.


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## farmerpat (Jan 1, 2008)

Our WM closed their fabric section 4 months ahead of when they'd said they would. Thank goodness I bought out as much of their fabric as I could afford before they shut down. 3 weeks ago I went 3 hrs away to the Hancocks Fabrics on my last trip to the city, and their prices have skyrocketed! $7.00 a yard for plain, pretty thin, solid-colored cotton fabric. I will NOT go back there again. They had lots of signs around saying 50% off sale now, but in the teeeeny tiny printing, it was only on "certain" fabric...And guess what - every fabric we chose was NOT the sale fabric. So, I left with a couple of fat quarters, some sewing notions, and precious little fabric. I've been buying alot of my fabric on EBay and from online stores like fabric.com, who offer free shipping.


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

www.connectingthreads.com
if you have not bought from them I can't recommend them enough! I just got fabric for $2 something a yard on clearance. Shipping over $50 is free and their thread is great too.


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## farmerpat (Jan 1, 2008)

Wow Ginnie! Thanks a bunch! Will check the site out tomorrow morning when I get back from the trip to Denver. I LOVE discounted fabric!!


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

I could spend WAY too much there! I went back and looked and they have fabric from 2.96 to 4.16 on the 50% discount....its only 5.96 regular too.


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## AR Transplant (Mar 20, 2004)

I had to buy some fabric in Alma Arkansas yesterday, after dinging the bell a few times a lady came and said she had only done this once before and she usually worked in automotives. She got the job done, but I try very hard to never buy from wm unless it's an emergency.


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