Anyone get their fabric from Wal-Mart and

[ScrubbieLady]

have you heard about them closing fabric sections in their stores?

[leera]

Yes they are.........have a friend who works there..........they are going to be phasing out the fabric department completely.............not sure when though.......if they clearnace the fabric,it might be a good chance to stock up though........

[MNMOM]

I hadn't heard about them closing the fabric dept. I'm going to be on the look-out for good cotton fabric for quilts. They do have some good brands of cotton.

Does anyone know how soon this will be?

[Faye]

I was in one in Mobile yesterday and ask the ladies in the fabric department if it was true they were closing the department and they said yes but they did not know when. They said they thought it was a bad move but they, of course, have no say in it. I ask would they at least have a good sale before hand or just sell out. They said they would have a half-price sale but they don't know when that will be. I have a cousin who works for the one nearest me and she will let me know.

[Shamrock1121]

That's too bad :(. Yet one more sign of the times. I remember when part of home economy meant you made clothes, curtains, drapes, and other assorted household goods.

The young neighbor came over and asked if I had a thread/needle that she could use to sew on a button. I brought out my 2 plastic boxes with thread in them to match the color for her. She was astounded and asked me how I ever got so much thread? From all the clothes and other things I've sewen since I was in high school. I remember being able to make a mini-skirt in a couple hours out of a yard and a half of material for around a dollar....

Wal-Mart was the last place in town we could purchase fabric at a "fair" price. All the "she-she" quilt shops charge awfully high prices.

I quit making clothes several years ago when the cost of patterns and fabric went through the roof. It was no longer economical. We also have 3 thrift stores, and for the price of one pattern, I could easily get 2 or 3 items of clothing.

-Karen

[leera]

I sure know what you mean about the quilt shops...........I was just in one the other day.......$9.99 a yard was the "cheapest" fabric I saw!

The only real use I have for the quilt shop,is parts for my machines........it's the only place that has sewing machine parts.

I wait until the weekends to buy fabric,and use one of my 40% or 50% off coupons at JoAnn Fabrics,if I need more than one,I just stop back in the next day and use another coupon(it's quite conveniently on the way to work).

JoAnn's quite frequently has remnants,and there are days when the remnants are 90% off.......

But for people whose only major shopping choice is WalMart.........I don't know what to tell ya......

[MNMOM]

I know what you mean by the prices in the exclusively quilt shops, but I do love to go into those places, they always have some unique things.
I too, like Leera, shop with my coupons at Jo-Ann's, and I always wait to buy thread and notions when it's 50% off at Jo-Ann's.
Alot of my patterns are from some of my favorite clothes that I have taken apart to use for sewing, especially my slacks. So, I still sew quite a bit.

[Faye]

I went to the WalMart nearest me today and talked to a friend of mine who works in the fabric dept. and she said they have not been told anything about their's being closed. I am going to 1-800-walmart and file a complaint about them closing them but I wonder if they are going to leave some of them open. She said they are still going strong and getting in all kinds of stuff for the next season. They never even downsized this one but they did the one's in Mobile.

[MNMOM]

Maybe they will close only those stores that don't sell much in the way of material.

[Suzy]

The Super Wal-Mart here is the ONLY PLACE in our rural county that sells fabrics and other sewing items....so if they close that section a lot of folks like me will be really "up a creek!"

Somebody let us know what you find out!!!!

[leera]

Has anyone thought about calling their main office and voicing an opinion or two?

[ScrubbieLady]

I read on another forum that Wal-Mart is closing their fabric AND craft sections by April. All of them. That will really put a cramp in my crafts. It is 35 miles to the nearest retail store. Guess I will start shopping on-line or just make large trips to the city and buy all my craft stuff at one time.

[candy]

Our local walmart has loads of material on sale at a $1 a yard right now.

I'd say everything will go on clearance if they really are closing .

So at least a small blessing in this closing .

Cheap fabric.

[leera]

WalMArt publicly annouced today that they are going to quit selling fabric at "select" stores.....so I take this to mean that it will not be all of them,just the lower volume ones.

Time will tell...........

[CarolAnn]

Walmart may move their stock to the areas of the country that sell lots of fabric. When I go to Arkansas, I always buy fabric there because the same stuff will cost sometimes double or more in Walmart in Wisconsin. They charge as much as they can get away with.

Got a mixed bag of ribbon for $1 in Mountain View,
AR and saw it up here for $3.99!

Too bad they forced so many of the small sewing and craft stores out of business with their low prices, then they drop it. Maybe some small business can start up again when they stop selling fabric and crafts.

Edited to add:
Also, don't forget you can buy fabric on line! I just found this on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Huge-lot-Fabric-Material-for-Crafts-Sewing-Quilting_W0QQitemZ330080141569QQihZ014QQcategoryZ2 8162QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It's a little too vague about how much is actually there - but I think you could write to the seller and ask for yardage. What's a "huge lot" of fabric?!

[Faye]

I was in Walmart yesterday and talked to the woman over fabrics. The way she talks they are keeping theirs! She said she understands they will be keeping some of them open. They will cut back on some things they get though, like quilted fabric that they send 6 bolts of they will just send one. Well, that just makes sense in the first place because you don't sell a lot of quilted fabric. Where I live they sell a lot of quilting fabric and a lot of people around here still sew. I am so relieved to find out they are not closing. The one I asked about in Mobile is closing though. There are several stores in Mobile and they are getting ready to build a new one about 3 miles from another one. They said it won't be quite as big. Go figure.

[junegypsy]

[color=Purple]Well, ladies, this is an eye opener! They are changing the Wal Mart where we shop all around. I hadn't heard about the fabric thing, but I will certainly check for bargains in case. I LOATHE Wal Mart and wish to never shop there again, but I do, because it's very convenient. They are trying to appeal to more high end shoppers; first they cut the lay away program, now if they cut the fabric and craft sections, I feel they are really bashing the lower/mid income folks. We kept something on law away there all the time! YES! I think we should all call in protest. I bet Sam Walton's rolling over, because this is not what he had in mind when he began Wal Mart! OK, OK.....I will now step down from my soap box! :-X

[RaggedyAnn43]

Hi, I'm new to the forum. I just wanted to say that I, too, loathe walmart. I've said many times that I'm never shopping there again. The store here is in a shambles from all the "changes" and you can nary find a thing you're looking for now. I was in there today (my very LAST visit). I was looking for a Spongebob Memory Game for my grandson. I, as usual, couldn't find help. So, I finally found an employee, who didn't work the toy dept. I asked her if she knew where I could locate the toy. She says, "I don't know. Let me ask someone. Well, I hear her ask someone nearby if they knew where to locate it. I didn't hear their reply. I waited, waited, waited and waited some more, wondering where she had gotten to. I rambled around to try to locate here and I see the lady standing at the electronics counter with her chin propped on her hand and her legs crossed, carrying on a full blown conversation. I stood there and watched her for quite some time. I finally walked up to her and said, "I appreciate you checking on that for me". She says, "you're welcome"! LOL I just left and will not return there. It's not the layout of the store they need to change in our town, they need to do a whole overhaul of their employees. I know this is a long post but thanks for letting me vent!