Tag: Quilting

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!

Photo by EVG Kowalievska on Pexels.com

Your last chance to redeem Joann gift cards

February 12, 2025

Joann has a big hearing on Friday morning (2/14/25) at 9:30 a.m. in bankruptcy court to finalize store closing procedures, which will include not accepting gift cards after a certain date. There’s usually a 14 day notice until a retail shop in bankruptcy stops accepting gift cards as payment. If I read the pleadings correctly, Joann is requesting the 14 day window to start ticking as of the date of the signed order. My best guesstimate is that you’d better redeem any gift cards you find by the end of February or you”ll be out of luck because the gift cards will be rendered worthless at the end of said 14 day period. Check with a Joann staff member before loading up your cart if you plan to redeem gift cards.

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

Joann’s has posted a rather large list of stores it plans to close. According to the list, we’ll have two stores left in the Atlanta area by the time all is said and done – Kennesaw and Decatur. The powers-that-be appear to be leaving some other Georgia stores open, too – namely Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville & Savannah. When I looked at locations around the SE, it seems that one location will remain open in most larger cities or locations where the single store may draw from a wide geographic area. For example, I did not see the Pensacola, FL or Panama City, FL locations on the closure list, although the store in Ft. Walton Beach, FL – located between the two stores – is on the closure list. It appears someone gave some thought as to which stores to actually close, rather than going strictly based off numbers. Thank you.

The two remaining Atlanta locations are about the same distance from me, so Sadie gets to keep shopping at Joann. Folks who live farther out will still have options – online shopping plus brick & mortar at Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, Michaels or a local quilt/fabric shop. All is not lost. We’ll just have to find new ways to get our fabric and inspiration fix.

Scour your desk drawers, junk drawers, old purses, tote bags and car cubbies for any unused Joann cards. Check your balance here, make your list and get shopping! Your best bets are likely to be fabric, interfacing, batting, some notions, yarn and storage containers.

A snowy day

January 11, 2025
Woke up to a winter wonderland

The snow began around 6:30 a.m. This was the scene that greeted us when I took Sadie out around 9:00 a.m. Big Girl has never experienced snow this deep. I had to walk out in the snow first to show her it was okay to go out. As predicted, we played several versions of the in/out game. She waited patiently to be toweled off after every round.

Total snowfall was about 3 inches. More snow and freezing rain are expected overnight. Late this afternoon, our HOA hired a contractor to provide snow removal and road salt services. I’m glad they did because the slush started to melt and is expected to refreeze overnight. Should make it easier for neighbors who need to get out tomorrow morning. Sadie and I may take a walk tomorrow mid-day, but I’m not planning to leave in my SUV until Sunday afternoon.

Doing EPP while I watched the local news coverage of our winter weather

Today was a lazy day. We watched the neighborhood kids slide down the hill in front of our house and visited with the next-door neighbors as their 3 year old experienced snow for the first time. So much fun! I did venture downstairs to my sewing room for a bit, but returned upstairs to the warmth of the fireplace and a mug of hot tea. Making a few EPP hexie flowers, reading a book and taking a nap were about as productive as it got today. Dinner consisted of leftover Hawaiian Chicken, jasmine rice and macaroni salad – my homemade version inspired by Mo’Bettahs that I enjoyed while at the Riley Blake Garden of Quilts event a couple of years ago. There’s even enough left for lunch tomorrow to pair with a small garden salad!

The local news anchors just reported some power outages in my area. Hopefully, we still have power in the morning. Regardless, all devices are fully charged, the laundry is done and my flashlight is handy.