One of my favorite places to buy fabric and crafts, Joann Fabrics, has filed for bankruptcy! I was beyond devastated to hear of this news.
To anyone who doesn’t know, Joann Fabrics is a place where you can buy fabric, yarn, buttons, home décor, string, thread, and so much more. When I was looking for fabrics to use for my homemade baby bibs, Joann Fabrics was the place where I could find anything. If I wanted to find a doggy print, I could find not one, but twenty different dog prints. There are currently 14 Joann Fabrics located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and it’s a company that’s been around for the past 81 years.
Why Did Joann Fabrics File For Bankruptcy?
Joann Fabrics filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. They have secured $132 million in fresh funding, which helps reduce the debt in half, but it’s still not enough. The Joann Fabrics debt reached to $1 billion. The reason for decline in sales in recent years can be blamed on the pandemic. During the pandemic people were stuck at home and spending money on things like arts and crafts. Joann Fabrics was a great place to order online or in store, and try new hobbies for the first time.
In 2024, people are back to work and back to their non-pandemic routines. The desire to try new crafts has declined over the four years. And then when you add inflation into the mix, a yard of fabric that used to cost $4/yard is now up to approximately to $8/yard. Buying new crafts, fabrics, and buttons is just plain unaffordable, unless you know exactly what you’re doing. And if you’re sick of the high prices, you’ll probably go online and find the same/similar crafts on places like Amazon.
Joann’s stock was delisted from the Nasdaq and will become privately owned following the bankruptcy process. They expect this to happen next month. They have 850 stores nationwide and they claim that right now they will remain open for business. Their website will also be open during this time.
But in case Joann Fabrics has to go under completely under, here are some other options for you to buy your fabrics, locally in Massachusetts.
Hobby Lobby
7 Locations: Braintree, Attleboro, Framingham, Seekonk, Hyannis, Athol, Holyoke
https://www.hobbylobby.com/Hobby Lobby is a chain store, but there are a number of them located in Massachusetts. I really like their fabric and craft selection, but I am not crazy about keeping track of the “every other week” discounts they offer. Some weeks they offer 40% off full-priced fabric. The next week they won’t. So you really have to keep an eye out for the deals.
Hobby Lobby has more than just fabrics! They have plenty of crafts, home decor, paints, and more. Don’t forget though, they are closed on Sunday’s.
Franklin Mill Store
305 Union St, Franklin, MA
https://franklinmillstore.com/Franklin Mill Store is where I used to go shopping for fabrics when I was a little girl! It’s a huge warehouse that has every type of fabric you can dream of. Want to make your own curtains? They have gorgeous fabrics for that too. They also offer classes for sewing and knitting. If you live in the Metro West area, this will be your go-to store.
Franklin Mill store has sewing and quilting fabrics. They have yard. They have design services. When you walk in there I promise you will be inspired to create something!
Sewfisticated
Three Locations- Somerville, Dorchester, Framingham
https://www.sewfisticated.com/I have never been to any of the Sewfisticated locations, but I have been told all about them from various people in the sewing world. They are home to designer fabric. Just a quick note: Their website isn’t great. But they make up for it in quality of their inventory when you go to their stores.
While I didn’t buy this fabric at Sewfisticated, they have plenty of fabric options to choose from. This is one of my baby bibs that I sold this past summer at farmer’s markets and craft fairs. I was blown away at how fast the nautical-themed ones sold.
Ann's Fabrics Inc
235 Turnpike St, Canton, MA
https://www.annsfabrics.com/Ann’s Fabrics Inc is the place you should go if you need anything serviced for your sewing machine. They specialize in repairs! I called them to get my sewing machine looked at and they have a pretty heavy wait list, but there aren’t many shops out there who still service machines like they do. If you have any questions, reach out to them. They will definitely help you out.
As I’ve said before, I love to sew. Here I am sitting at my mom’s kitchen table sewing a button down shirt for my son. I had never done one before, but had a blast trying to read the pattern!
