Apr 6, 2016

Going Out of Business

I was sitting at my embroidery machine putting numbers on yet another set of baseball hats, the ones for Baby Doll's team this time when Bossy sent me a text. It was an announcement that Hancock Fabric was liquidating their stores and all their inventory.

Can I just say that for a minute I was devastated?

My first thoughts were to the recent several hundred dollars I spent there for Teach's wedding, but the longer I sat there, mechanically changing one hat for another, the more my mind wandered to all the things we had purchased from Hancock over the years... fabric for Bossy's wedding dress, fleece for countless donated blankets, quilt fabrics with Grandma, a liquid pink for Princess's baptism dress, flag silk, formals, the list goes on and on.

What are we going to do without Hancock? There are so few stores anymore that sell craft items and fabric. I haven't found anywhere else that I can buy quilting tacks or 99-cent patterns. Why is it that society is changing so much that we don't have a market for these things?

I know I can't change much of the world by teaching my Girl Scouts or my Activity Days girls to sew, but it's definitely a start. We need to preserve these skills before the only way to get new clothing or a quilt will be to go to a store and I don't mean a store like Hancock.

6 comments:

amy said...

I too am sad they are closing. I owned a store for 17 years and the first 9 we sold bridal fabric, it was great, people were making wedding dresses and saving a ton of money doing it. Now so many people buy their fabrics for super cheap online or even at Walmart it's just too hard to compete. So many people just don't know the difference between good and bad quality fabrics anymore, they just go for price.

Marci said...

I'm bummed they are closing too. I just set my sewing machine up for the first time in our new house and am getting ready to do some projects. Maybe I can hit them up before they close and get fabric/supplies for a ton of projects that I want to do and save some money!

Anonymous said...

They used to be in Vancouver gone a long long time..Many buy their fabric and all the stuff needed to make wedding dresses at Michaels and another store everyone raves about..Most people don't make anything anymore and it looks like it tooo..I am a plus size woman and buy my clothes in Seattle Washington about 3 hours from our home once a year, the owner knows me and I get what I need lingerie tooooo. I save all thru the year for clothing, it is reaching 85 today breaking all heat records we are going tomorrow to seattle to shop and visit a place that sells fish and crab and oysters from the sea on the wharf where the police and firemen eat, we are thrilled to do so and I am thrilled to be able to get some cooler clothes and lingerie for a blistering 7 months! Plus I called the owner and she is coming in early we will be there when she opens and I will be able to get lovely clothing well made and not have to wear a tent for the summer LOL LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry you won't be able to get the fabric you need and want but other stores will pop up you just have to be patient cause I doubt you throw any money away sewing clothes for your lovely family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Jo Ann fabrics is the name of a wonderful yardage shop with everything you could possibly need, isn't it in your town?????????????????????????????? Wow whee, they should be in Sandy Utah or near enough..It has all the yardage you would ever need and other sewing items at low low prices..Hopefully you can find this store and load up for the many things you want to sew and make, it would be worth your looking for this store in your area! It was 83 yesterday here in Vancouver and over 81 at the coasts of Oregon and Washington a big heat wave for sure! we are loving the heat we don't get it often this very early!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

We are off to Seattle in 2 minutes I am so excited to go and enjoy the plus lady clothes and the weather too, not as hot as it was yesterday but lovely..We will dine with the police, firemen and rescue people and enjoy a seafood feast at low low prices plus the clothes, I so need and saved for over a year..wow whee!

Anonymous said...

Meant to say God is good and merciful, he allows us to travel over 300 miles and get there and enjoy our friends and I can find some clothing..I am frugal and make no bones about the fact plus sizes are more expensive and the selection in most stores are horrible and not made well at all, I save for this trip and we will get home late and exhausted but thanking our Savior for the opportunity to do so, the Lord is wonderful and God's blessings in finding Jo Ann Fabric shops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!