Closing of Joann Fabrics, May 2025

The rumors had been circulating for several years.  Bankruptcy had been filed . . . more than once.  The sad reality was that Joann Fabrics was going out of business.  Mistakes were made at the corporate level.  Joann’s was at one time, an efficient, and affordable, option for many.  It was one of my favorite stores. To those business owners who publicly trashed Joann Fabrics, guess who looks bad?  Not Joann Fabrics.  

Yes, I purchased a lot of goods and fixtures from Joann’s before they closed permanently. I made some longterm friends among the employees there over the years.  I’m hopeful that those who wanted to continue working, found jobs.

All text and images ©️Suzanne Myers Otto

Trunk Show of Totes!

Greetings!

I have made many bags over the years!  I’m including photos of some of those bags.  I hope you'll enjoy looking at my photos! 

 

The tote bag shown below is made from one of my all-time favorite fabrics, found while I was in Joann Fabrics with my (visiting) sister.  Another customer was having some of this "Hudson 43" home decor fabric cut.  My sister and I both loved the chicken fabric, but didn't buy any at that time.  I went back the next day and scoured the store to find this fabric.  Once I found it, I bought a piece, later sharing it with my sister.  Since that time, both of us have "collected" more of this print!  Good thing, as it's now been discontinued.  

The tote bag has no batting in it.  It is lined with mattress ticking.  I sewed the top edge with a decorative machine stitch.  I also added a few black/white polka dotted buttons as trim.

 

The next tote pictured is one I call "Strip-pieced Whopper Shopper.  This large tote bag was a way for me to use up some smaller pieces of fabric.  The tote is made of bright, jewel-toned fabrics.   My favorite!  Strips of patchwork pieces were strip-pieced atop quilt batting.  I used strips in 3 different widths to add visual interest.  The bag was lined AFTER the body and straps were sewn together.  My design, 2018.

 

The next bag was inspired by a Boro (stitching) class I took in 2018  I've made, or started a number of totes using this stitching technique.  The bag has a crazy quilt appearance

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I made this colorful bag in the late 1990's.  I used Benartex fabrics purchased at the AQS show in Paducah, KY.  I used a commercial sewing pattern for this one.  McCall's 7567 is the pattern I used.  The bag wasn't shown in patchwork but I figured "why not try it?"

 

"Shaggy Raggy Baggy" was made for a Kaufman Fabrics purse challenge contest years ago.  The bag traveled around the country as part of the contest exhibit.  There is no pattern:  I made it up!  The bottom section of the bag is made of fabric strips knotted together, then knitted.

The small necklace purse shown below was made for an exhibit at the Madison Art Glass and Bead Show in 2015.  Participants purchased a special handmade featured "show" bead, then used it in their entries.  Some entries were jewelry creations, but it wasn't a requirement.  I chose to make a small purse.  The first photo shows the back of the purse, the second, the front of the purse.

 

"Alaska Evening Bag" features a bag enhanced with metallic threads, tatting, and mother of pearl buttons.  This small bag was part of a purse display by a no-longer-in-business local quilt shop.  I didn't have a pattern for this bag.  I basically cut a shape out of a grocery bag and used that to design  my purse.  The bag closes with the miracle of Velcro.

A few more bags, just to look at!

Another bag featuring Boro stitching.  I incorporated some vintage embroidered pieces in this bag.

Sometimes I'll make tote bag handles out of two different fabrics!

I call this pink/black bag "Whatever" only 'cause I couldn't think of a name for it!  I wanted to use up some pieced squares that were a combo of pink and a tropical print.  I'd originally made the squares as class samples.  I dug through my stash and found some black fabric with bright polka dots to tie the pieces together.  I used black webbing for the handles.  I made plenty of mistakes in this mismatched, machined-quilted bag, but I still like it!  This bag was made in 2022.  No pattern.

Another Boro stitched bag below.  I love blue and decided to feature it in this bag.

The panel on the front of the bag below is an ad for my favorite local quilt shop.  Customers could incorporate the printed panel into a bag.  In return, a discount is offered at the end of the month if you carry in your bag!

I love chocolate and I love Halloween!  The bag below is another rendition of the "Strip-pieced Whopper Shopper" shown earlier in this post.  Most of the fabrics used were purchased while on a trip in 2021.  I made the bag in 2022.

Recently Completed Projects

I purchased an under-seat bag recently, to be used for future travels.  Thinking it needed some sprucing up, I stenciled and painted one section of the front.  I used Jacquard Lumiere paints for stenciling and mark-making on my bag.  

I made a hat to wear for the holiday season!  The hat is knit sideways.  It has a seam up 

the back.  This pattern, all in garter stitch, is from a vintage Columbia-Minerva publication *.  I have used this hat pattern many times.   The wool, hand dyed “Jingle Bells” yarn was purchased on etsy.

* Teach Yourself to Knit the Easy Way, book 770.

A holiday party invitation typically motivates me to make a new festive top to wear 

to the event!  I like this (2022) pattern from Simplicity.  When I made my cotton blouse, I used 3 different fabrics, not just one, as shown on the pattern envelope.  I pieced the sleeves 

and added vintage trim to them. I also slightly changed the sleeve and used a gathered sleeve with a short cuff.  This involved lengthening the gathered sleeve pattern piece by a few inches.

Buttons in three different colors were used!

I couldn't resist adding this vintage crocheted bird to the back yoke of my blouse.

Ready to go!

Stops Along the Way: Part 2

. . . and so my trip to North Carolina continues.  Day 1 of my drive ended in Effingham, IL.

Knowing that I was within range of Paducah, KY, I left my hotel in Effingham at about 6:30 a.m. The drive to Paducah was approximately 130 miles.  My next stop would be the quilter’s mecca 

known as Hancock’s of Paducah.  The store opens at 9 a.m. and I made it a point to arrive in

time for the store opening. 

 

The last time I was IN Paducah was over 20 years ago.  All previous visits have been with tour groups visiting the annual AQS quilt show there.  Paducah was overrun with quilters during those April trips!  My stop at Hancock’s in late May was a very different story.  I practically had the place to myself! There were one or two other shoppers looking around.  There WERE lots of employees gathering specific bolts of fabric to fill internet orders.

 

This landed in my car!  With gusty winds on the interstate, it was imperative that I add some weight to my car. 

As you can see, the sky looked ominous.  I encountered periods of heavy rain

 as I drove southeast across Kentucky after leaving  Hancock's.

I continued onward, via Interstate 24.  I worked my way to Nashville, TN.  I24 runs

along the east edge of  Nashville.  Nashville has a pretty skyline.  The traffic was

bumper to bumper and it took a long time to get beyond Nashville.  I made it to 

Murfreesboro for the night on this, my second day of the trip.  Murfreesboro has

connections to the Civil War.  The photo below shows a wall in my hotel room.

 

On day 3 of my trip, I left Murfreesboro and headed to the Chattanooga, TN area.

Again, Interstate 24 was busy, especially near Chattanooga.  I switched from I24, to 

I75, just east of Chattanooga.  With another quilt shop address preloaded into my 

GPS, I headed to Ooltewah, home of “Chattanooga Quilts”.  Ooltewah is about 20 miles 

east of Chattanooga.

Chattanooga Quilts is a shop filled with character!  And, lots of nice fabric!

 







With another day of driving complete, I arrived in Murphy, NC on Thursday afternoon.

My Friday drive to the John Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, would be less

than ten miles!

I’ve been to Murphy before.  I am familiar with both the quilt shop (Bless My Stitches) 

and one of the antiques shops in town. 

 

I found this large basket at Marketplace Antiques in Murphy.  The big basket is 

16” in diameter.  It caught my eye just minutes after I walked into the antiques

store.  This photo was taken after the basket traveled with me back to my home.

Thank-you for following along as I drove to North Carolina!  My next post will feature

photos of the John C. Campbell Folk School!