Tag: fabric

Changing shopping habits

July 1, 2025

I’ve always made it a point to shop local businesses whenever possible. However, the brick & mortar retail landscape in my area has really changed in the past 5 years – particularly when it comes to quilt & fabric shops. Where westside Atlanta had 8+ quilt shops prior to 2020, there were only two still in business when I retired in May 2022. Today, one shop has a completely new owner and the other is in the process of onboarding the next generation to run its long-time shop. In April, Stitched opened along the route to my monthly guild meetings and bee group gatherings. I really like the new shop’s vibe – plus Sadie is welcome. Needless to say, I shop here first for fabric and dog treats! 🙂

Some of the shop closures have meant I no longer have a local source of supply for certain notions I prefer to use. Even with three Janome dealers in the greater Atlanta area, I usually resort to buying parts and accessories from online dealers due to availability, convenience and price. Actually, I now apply the same parameters to shopping as I do therapy dog visits. If I can’t get there in under 30 minutes, I’m not going unless it’s a special occasion.

Instead, I’ll simply shop at regional quilt shops online before I head over to Amazon. One of the millennial age instructors in a class I took explained we can still support small & local businesses even when we shop online. She has a valid point. I recently bought fabric online from Stash Fabrics (needed to fix a boo-boo) and picked it up while running errands in that part of town. I needed Superior Threads Titanium Topstitch 90/14 needles and a cone of So Fine 50 wt thread in Straw color. Amazon was the only retailer that had both items available, plus it offered the best pricing overall and 2 day delivery. (It helps we’re Prime members.) I look at it this way: I’m saving time and money while still supporting the local delivery service provider who will deliver the package to my home tomorrow.

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Life after Joann’s

March 10, 2025

Like many of you, I’m disappointed that Joann’s is closing. I’ve gone into the Alpharetta and Kennesaw locations to see what’s on sale. Not really anything. Liquidation “sale” prices are actually higher than Joann’s normal sale prices. Puh-leez. The new Joann’s owners aren’t serious about selling through the merchandise just yet. Even if huge markdowns begin, I doubt I’ll buy anything else from them. However, I’ll continue to take Sadie to walk the Kennesaw store as long as it stays open. Then, we’ll head up the hill to Home Depot to do the same thing. It helps with her therapy dog conditioning.

Tonight, I challenged myself to see if I could find what I needed at the Woodstock Wal-Mart on Hwy 92 to make my version of the infamous Beth Dutton quilt from the Yellowstone TV series (red/gray/black 9 patch quilt set on point). I spent $31.00 on fabric – (1) 3 yard cut of dark gray, (2) 1 yard cuts of patterned black fabric, (1) red & white dot, plus assorted FQs of red/black/gray prints. The rest of the fabrics will come from my stash. I have thread, backing and batting at home. Lest the quilt po-po decide to chime in, the quality of the 100% cotton Waverly branded fabric at Wal-Mart is much better than most of the cheap stuff sold at Joann’s.

In an earlier post, I listed alternatives in the Atlanta area to shop at instead of Joann’s. I’d also like to add estate sales and de-stash sales of sewists and quilters in your area. Many long-time quilters are card-carrying members of the fabric acquisition team and have the stashes to prove it. News of an estate sale with a lot of fabric travels fast. Check with your quilt guilds, ASG chapter or search on estate-sales.net for sales near you. FB Marketplace is another source for garage and estate sale listings.

Other updates: Shirt Off Your Back quilt shop in Roswell will be closing down in early summer. Even their Innova long-arm machines are for sale. Stash Fabrics in Alpharetta (more like Cumming actually) is now offering classes and offers local pick-up at no extra charge. Scraplanta is an organization I discovered while attending the OSQE this past week. They offer donated fabric and notions for sale, plus offer classes in repurposing said scraps and materials.

Change is the only constant in life. Joann’s closing is sad, but I imagine most of us living in larger towns and cities will still have local access to craft and sewing supplies. Keep an eye out on newcomers, too – a new indie bookstore opened in Smyrna and a stitch lounge opened in East Cobb this past week. New places to explore!

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Sticking with the destash plan

December 6, 2024

The numerous Week 1 FG for the 2024 Bonnie Hunter Old Town mystery quilt are finally completed! I literally had to force myself to finish the last 5 sets of FG blocks. You see, my mind was already engrossed in figuring out the cutting details for Week 2’s 4-patch blocks since I wasn’t cutting yardage or using strips as demoed in the weekly clue. I’m using leftover charm squares and white/cream/beige fabric hunks from my stash.

I made good use of my Sizzix machine and strip cutter dies. I had to subcut the white/beige/cream strips into 5″ lengths to match the charm squares. Tedious, yes, but so satisfying to see those fabrics being used up instead of sitting in a storage bin in my closet. I’ll spend 30 minutes a day sewing the strips and then subcutting and sewing them into the gazillion 4-patch blocks. Fortunately, these blocks aren’t needed right away. A friend borrowed my Elnita EC30 while her sewing machine was in the shop. I pieced all the FG and first few strip sets for the 4 patch blocks on the Baby Lock Jubilant (which did fine), but I’m so happy to have my regular machine back! The strip sets are all done!

A fellow quilter commented that I must have a rather large stash since I’m always sewing from my stash. I did have a large fabric stash when I retired (much of it gifted for use in teaching children’s sewing classes). What I now have fits in a single closet (along with batting, interfacing and a couple of vintage machines) – and I’m thrilled about this. It’s taken two years of steady destashing to reach this point. This time next year, I should be at my goal in terms of fabric stash and sewing supplies.

The art of destashing involves keeping fabrics you love or will actually use and getting rid of the fabrics you’re not going to use. Ways to move unwanted fabric: use it for my own FMQ practice or to make test blocks; use as student practice fabric in classes; gift fabric to my sewing kids; donate some to the SQTM yard sale and donate some more to my guild’s community service table. I also make finished placemats and quilts to donate to my guild using the fabrics I don’t care to keep.

Sewing space in my next home will be significantly smaller than the basement studio space I now enjoy. While there are no immediate plans to move, getting a handle on the fabric stash and supplies now will make things that much easier in the future.

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