I Am Sad!

[gargoyle]

:glare::( Went to my local wally's the other day......no more fabric:(:confused::(

Gone, all of it!!:crying:cursing::mad:

Well, okay I'll be honest, they had three small bolts left of some kind of mystery fabric. Certainly nothing I would be interested in. Sad, my friends, sad. Seemed like a great place for the diy folks to get some bargain fabrics, but no more! There were still some sewing supplies, but fabric is a done deal.
:cursing::cursing::crying:mad::mad:

Wal-Mart...shame on you!

[oldgringo]

Our local WM has gotten out of the fabric bidness, as well as firearms, ammo, and most hunting gear. Granted, most of it was cheap crap, but still...

[mtncmpr]

Will this be ALL wally-worlds?

[Hawk-eye]

Our local WM has gotten out of the fabric bidness, as well as firearms, ammo, and most hunting gear. Granted, most of it was cheap crap, but still...

Couldn't agree more! Well said ... err ... typed.

[gargoyle]

Will this be ALL wally-worlds?

According to the gals and guys that worked in my local ww, YES!! Chain-wide termination of all fabric depts.

Ramblin' Rev reported that 'possibly' his ww will be spared due to the high number of amish diy'ers.

Apparently, ww's execs feel it is more important to offer 79 different styles of tupperware, 2,057 different styles of flip-flop sandals...:confused:

While the quality was not the best, or the selection, it was a practical solution for us who love diy.

[oldgringo]

It is a shame.

I don't like to go into "real" fabric stores...it embarasses me when I lactate.:jj:

[Coldspring]

Well, they're not running a charity. I can't see a whole lot of profit margin per square foot in the fabric business.

I don't see a lot of them with live pets anymore either.

Seems like Wal-Mart has less and less stuff that interests me these days, a whole lot of nothing, hardly ever find anything I'm looking for. I mostly order stuff online, as Wally World don't even have Low Prices anymore.

[Cannibal]

According to the gals and guys that worked in my local ww, YES!! Chain-wide termination of all fabric depts.
I was told that the fabric section is 'ditched' after remodel. Supposedly, you are safe until you hear the store is going to do a remodel. Did they just spruce-up your Walmart, or have I been fibbed to about this topic?

[Cranky Bear]

When they remodeled our local WM the fabric/sewing dept went by-by! What they should have done was get rid of the Auto Center and keep the Fabric dept!!!!!! I'm a little biased though after they screwed up my truck!!!!

[gargoyle]

I've had several conversations with my local ww staff, over the past few months.
They informed me (since they saw me in there..all the time;)) That the fabric dept. is slated to close months ago. Remodel or not! They told me June was the end, it is June. Close enough, at least.
(no sprucing at this ww, not that I see, at least)

Got to run into the big city, and see what's up at those Wally's...keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully, they leave one fabric dept. open in my area!

[Dancer]

I am not a Wal-Mart hater. I buy most of my groceries there. What has happened in my town, however, is that Wal-Mart's fabric was so super cheap that all the small fabric stores have gone out of business. Now that Wal-Mart is getting rid of fabric we are left with a small quilter's shop that only sells cutesy quilt fabric and the outragously overpriced place that caters to designers and upholsters. They close at 5pm, so if you work, you are screwed. Thanks Wal-Mart.....

[Ramblinrev]

The clerks in my store told me a few weeks ago they expected at least another two years. But who knows how much the clerks know. They dais the volume of fabric sold out of that department would seem to justify keeping it open. Ya'll come to Lewisburg and boost the numbers. Maybe they'll keep it longer.

[kykcamper]

I am not a Wal-Mart hater. I buy most of my groceries there. What has happened in my town, however, is that Wal-Mart's fabric was so super cheap that all the small fabric stores have gone out of business. Now that Wal-Mart is getting rid of fabric we are left with a small quilter's shop that only sells cutesy quilt fabric and the outragously overpriced place that caters to designers and upholsters. They close at 5pm, so if you work, you are screwed. Thanks Wal-Mart.....

I also don't hate Walmart, but this is what happens when people stop supporting locally owned small business. I get certain things from Walmart if I can't find them somewhere else. You have to support them if you want them to stay open.

[Ramblinrev]

I am not a Wal-Mart hater. I buy most of my groceries there. What has happened in my town, however, is that Wal-Mart's fabric was so super cheap that all the small fabric stores have gone out of business. Now that Wal-Mart is getting rid of fabric we are left with a small quilter's shop that only sells cutesy quilt fabric and the outragously overpriced place that caters to designers and upholsters. They close at 5pm, so if you work, you are screwed. Thanks Wal-Mart.....

It has been my experience that the small indie fabric shops have been closing whether there is a Walmart nearby or not. The fabric distribution structure was wanky when we were in business 25 years ago. I'm sure nothing has improved. We were dealing with one of the major distributors in Boston and could not order particular fabric. We could get what they had. That's it. If they didn't have what you wanted... you had better want what they had. It was real tough to make clothing if you could not rely on your fabric stock. So as much fun as it is to blame Walmart for driving local businesses out of the area.. and sometimes it is very true... in the case of fabrics I don't think they hold all the blame. The fabric industry has been driving the indie shops out of business for decades.

[Cannibal]

It has been my experience that the small indie fabric shops have been closing whether there is a Walmart nearby or not.
I wonder if we're about to see that change. There has been a resurgence of 'old school' living in this country. It started before the economic meltdown and has accelerated. Don't believe it? Go to the bookstore and take a look around. The number of do-it-yourself books is madness compared with a few years back. People are taking up gardening more and more for sustenance rather than decoration. Homemade soaps, cooking from scratch ("scratch" does not mean a box from Betty Crocker!), spinning yarn for crying out loud! Here's my favorite; bread making machine (:glare:) sales have plummeted the past two years. I think it's because people discovered making bread by hand really isn't that difficult.

More and more people seem to be looking for a reset switch to modern life. I've been shopping for a sewing machine for the past month and have been told several times that they can't keep the good refurbished machines on the shelf. I wonder if we'll see a resurgence in fabric shops and maybe even textile production in the States. It'd be nice and I bet the wait time on Blackbirds drops. :lol:

[Ramblinrev]

I hope so.. but the distribution system is what is going to have to change to allow that to happen. Take what we got or leave the store is not a good way to build a customer base whether it is final user, retail, wholesale or what.

[Coldspring]

I wonder if we're about to see that change. There has been a resurgence of 'old school' living in this country.

Yeah, maybe in your state...all you Coloradans are turning back into hippies! ;)

[Cannibal]

Yeah, maybe in your state...all you Coloradans are turning back into hippies! ;)
Yeah, Boulder seems to be contagious. :lol:

[Strapped-4-Cache]

Just checked my local WM this morning. All fabric is now 50% off. I managed to find a bolt of DWR and several bolts of plain green ripstop on the shelves.

Typically, no one was in the dept to measure and price the fabric at 6:30 this a.m., so I'm hoping to get back there after quitting time tonight and load up on some fabric. at $0.75/yard it's hard to go wrong.

Oh, and pay no attention to my location listed at the left. I really live in... uh... Utah! Yeah, Utah. Nothing here, er, THERE on the east coast. Nope.

- Mark (S-4-C)

[KerMegan]

(hand waves) this is not the fabric department you are looking for....

KM

[hiker_DC]

My local Wal-Mart has had nothing but cotton fabric for years. The only synthetic items they have are poly batting and thread. Besides, the price for fabrics at places like OWF and Ed Speer are low enough to earn my business.

[gargoyle]

My local Wal-Mart has had nothing but cotton fabric for years. The only synthetic items they have are poly batting and thread. Besides, the price for fabrics at places like OWF and Ed Speer are low enough to earn my business.

I picked up some urethane coated rip for $.70/yard last week, owf or speer (no offense) can not touch that;):D...65'' wide!!...digital camo...totally waterproof...$.70/yard..I am sad. :crying:crying:crying:crying

[JohnSawyer]

Here's my favorite; bread making machine (:glare:) sales have plummeted the past two years. I think it's because people discovered making bread by hand really isn't that difficult.

HA! I found using my stand mixer did a much better job without any more mess! :-) and yes, I cook from scratch, but I don't grow my own beef...

I am in agreement, the real issue from a clothing perspective is profit: If the local shops can't sell sufficient volume, they have to make enough profit to make up for it.

I find that I can get decent clothing for less than material costs if I try, but then again there are no indie fabric stores that I can find in San Diego...

I have 5 WW's within a 20 minute drive of me... 1 has no fabric dept as of a year ago. I better start searching the rest.

[Strapped-4-Cache]

OK, 10 yards of green ripstop, 10 yards of gray-green ripstop, and 8.5 yards of silver-tan DWR ripstop for just over $20. I should have enough material to keep me busy for a little while. I'd hoped that the near transparent ripstop would still be there, but it's gone.

I think I'll have enough fabric to make an undercover for my new IX UQ now. :)

I won't mind if the rest is purchased before I get back. I don't need to spend more on fabric. At least that's what I've just been told...

[tekape]

Oh, and pay no attention to my location listed at the left. I really live in... uh... Utah! Yeah, Utah. Nothing here, er, THERE on the east coast. Nope.

- Mark (S-4-C)

Mi madre checked her local (Utah) WM for me last week and scored 40 yards of what appears to be 1.1 ripstop, coated in a digital camo print. I've got it under water right now to see if it really is coated. No leaks yet after 4 hours.

$1 per yard. And spools of poly thread for 25 cents each.

[gargoyle]

Mi madre checked her local (Utah) WM for me last week and scored 40 yards of what appears to be 1.1 ripstop, coated in a digital camo print. I've got it under water right now to see if it really is coated. No leaks yet after 4 hours.

$1 per yard. And spools of poly thread for 25 cents each.

That fabric makes a good tarp. A little heavy, compared to good sil. I haven't had any issues with mine.
11135

[jeepcachr]

Gargoyle the Grandville Walmart dumped their fabric section a year ago and as far as I know all of the rest of the WM's in the Grand Rapids area have pulled them out as well. Walmart didn't like paying for people to cut fabric seems to be the primary reason that they have decided to pull it out.

[Strapped-4-Cache]

The WM closest to me finally marked their remaining stock of fabric at 75% off. I grabbed every bolt of ripstop that was left and walked out with over 30 yards of various shades of green for a bit over $10.00. The clerk actually gave me an even better deal, because the machine that prints the tags quit working and she had to work up one manually on a different machine. She said that she hoped the slight discount made up for the time I had to wait.

I wish that I could always get deals like that when I go shopping.

I have enough material to seriously consider doing a DIY sil tarp project now, along with a few more hammocks for friends, some stuff sacks, some undercovers, etc., etc., etc.

[phatpenguin]

Strapped,
Which Wal-mart was that, Just so I don't go in there this afternoon?

[Strapped-4-Cache]

Phat, it's the one listed as Store #2154, 2635 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth, GA 30096. It's across from Shorty Howell Park.

What brings you all the way out to Georgia?

[JohnSawyer]

NOOOO! I thought I'd be spared the great WaldoMart fabric closure... but alas, no. :cursing:

2 down, 3 left I need to go check...

[Gnome77]

Talked to Conyers,Stockbridge,Dekalb, And Lovejoy walmarts. Lovejoy is currently selling off remainder of stock and discontinuing department. Walmart spokesperson stated No More Fabric, seems the Child/Prison labor in China could not meet the dwindling demand.