I’m hoping to visit later this month, so I’ll try to check it out! Thanks for the tip.
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If you find yourself in Minneapolis/St Paul area of Minnesota, there’s an outlet there that took my breath away the time I visited. I have plans to make a pilgrimage when I’m up there in September.
Speaking to the comment about it being appalling that a metro area like ours doesn’t have a store:
I think it’s important to note that the lack of fashion fabric sources is in large part due to the lack of sufficient people patronizing them.
People think that if they can buy fabric for 5 bucks a yard online, the local brick and mortar stores should do the same. But it doesn’t work that way in real life. An online store can work out of a cheap warehouse in a dicey part of town or out of their converted garage. But local ordinances tend to prohibit retail sales in a location zoned residential. And many people are loathe to visit a location they perceive as “unsafe”.
Brick and mortar stores require monthly rent plus the overhead for utilities, facility repairs, hiring staff, etc. the profit margin on fabrics is not as good as that on sewing machines or notions. Fabrics, like clothing in stores, can be easily ruined by people with dirty hands touching it or by environmental conditions like sunlight or fluorescent lights. (Ever discovered that fabric you bought has a discolored line along the fold when you spread it open?) in the case of many prints or color ways, they can become dated surprisingly quickly. In any case, fabrics generally have to be put on clearance sooner than something that stays the same. Like a button.
Long story short, whenever possible, patronize local businesses and pay a little more so they can keep their lights on versus rushing to order online. While I chaired the Sewing SIG, I insisted on purchasing our machines from Mr Sewing Machine instead of saving ten bucks by ordering from some big online seller.
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