03/03/2025
I don’t even know where to begin. The news that Joann Fabrics is closing feels like losing a piece of my childhood, a place woven into the fabric of my life—quite literally.
Long before Joann’s, my grandmother and I had our Saturdays at The Rag Shop (remember that?!), but when that closed, we found a new home in the aisles of Joann’s. I was just a toddler, my little hands barely able to grasp a spool of thread, but my grandmother made sure I understood the magic of creating something with love and patience.
Saturday mornings meant sewing classes at Joann’s. Sitting beside my grandmother, the hum of machines in the background, the scent of fresh fabric filling the air—it was our ritual. She taught me how to sew when I was just five years old, her hands guiding mine, passing down a skill that would become so much more than a hobby. Sewing became our bond, a language of love stitched together with every piece we made.
Now, my grandma is 90, and though her hands may not be as steady as they once were, the memories we built in that store remain stitched into my heart. Joann Fabrics was never just a store. It was a place of learning, of laughter, of finding the perfect pattern for a new project, of picking out the softest fabric for something special. It was a place where my grandmother and I shared moments that shaped who I am.
Saying goodbye to Joann’s is heartbreaking. It’s losing a piece of my childhood, a piece of my connection to my grandmother. But as she always told me, “The best stitches are the ones sewn with love.” And that love—the love she poured into teaching me, the love we shared over endless bolts of fabric—will never fade.
Thank you, , for giving us a place to create, to dream, and to be together. You will be deeply missed.
