Jo-Ann

Was here today. Really great service! The lady who helped me, Kristen was really nice and helpful! One of the managers there, Eric is really nice too. They have so much fabric to choose from. Its so much better than the Saugus store. Will be back.

I only shop at this Jo-​Ann outlet if I have to. Now and then you’ll get a friendly cashier up front, but the people working in the store are unhelpful at best, rude at their worst. The last time I was in there, a cashier who was about 70 asked me if I was a senior citizen so I asked her why she needed to know. She said if I was 65 or older, I could get a senior discount and when I said I was over 15 years away from that, she exclaimed, «REALLY?!?» to which I responded, «REALLY! You REALLY know how to make a customer’s day.» She tried to excuse it by telling me she’s a senior and just assumes everyone else is, but REALLY? I won’t go back there again.

I walked in to Joann Fabrics a few days ago to buy some yarn for an infinity scarf. I was happily surprised to find a flyer right when you walk in with a 50% off coupon. Walked in, got the yarn I wanted, half off, checked out and left. Easy peasy. The gentleman checking me out was very friendly. It’s not a very busy store so I can understand how there was not a big staff. I’d go back, happily.

I’ve been knitting and crocheting for years, but recently decided it’d be fun to start sewing, so I got a sewing machine for Christmas. I went in here today and was in heaven with how much stuff they have. I’m used to going to Michaels, which is good, but definitely much smaller. I can’t speak to quality yet, and didn’t really interact much with the staff, but I’m excited to come back and see what else they have as I get more creative.

What a wonderful and exciting store! They sell all the fabric and crafting goods you could think of, plus many you can’t! I was there on a Saturday night, and it was a bustling, hopping place full of the most interesting people. A nice young man cut my cloth once he had a chance, and a hard-​working woman who you could just tell as trying her best rang up my purchases. Some people say this place is understaffed or full of unfriendly workers, but I say that a little patience and understanding goes a long way! One man who seemed to be in charge was a little loud and animated with his employees, but bless him he was doing a difficult job. With so much stock of colorful, varied fabrics, I can see how running the place might get overwhelming. It took me a little while to find what I was looking for, but wandering around is just be part of the journey of life! I’m really pretty thankful for the chance to explore such a large and we’ll-stocked location.

I so agree with not enough staff. but the gentleman that work their are always so helpful to me (maybe because I am there almost every week). .I also agree with review of some moody people or should I say a moody woman at cutting counter.
Most others are nice about asking me what I am doing or listening to me ramble on about this or that project.. Do tend to avoid Saturday because of long lines.

It’s fine if:
You like paying through the nose for some of the most disgusting, outdated poly based fabrics you’ve ever seen
You LOVE spending hours searching for stuff just thrown in there with no rhyme or reason
The idea of stepping on pins on the floor thrills you — they were all over the floor, told an employee and… nothing. Imagine the joy when a small child steps on them.
You hate sewing. There is nothing inspriational in there. Seriously, save the trip, go through your old clothes and repurpose them.
How they sell anything stuns me. They have a sewing mannequin they retail for $ 270, you can get the same thing on line for $ 130 tops. The place is a total rip off, which is sad. There’s no reason they can’t have a selection of sub $ 10 fabrics. They sell largely crap, no silks at all.
Save your time and gas.

Do you like paying Mood prices for WalMart quality and selection? Like surly cashiers and downright nasty cutters? Get a thrill from the smell of artificial flowers in a low-​ceiling warehouse of fluorescent pain?
This is the place for you!
Seriously, if I didn’t know better, I’d think JoAnn Fabrics was trying to ensure a world of folks who don’t sew. Their prices are ridiculously high, their staff are always unfriendly, and yeah, they’ve got a wide variety of patterned cotton, but if you want something nice, or hell, even something plain, like black cotton? Forget it, they only have junk.
I’m an avid sewer, fond of making my own clothing, but I’ve dealt with JoAnn’s for the last time. This one in particular was the last straw. I’ve been treated better by high school students while I was lecturing them for breaking a rule. I’ve seen better selection in a yard sale. This place is a complete rip-​off with rude service on top.
Do yourself a favor. Go somewhere else for your crafting needs. Maybe then JoAnn’s will figure it out and go out of business already.

I went in to Joann’s today to supplement the fabric I got at a discount place, and I noticed a few things.
-#1: There were not enough staff, and the staff that was there was pretty mixed. The girl cutting fabric was great, but she was off helping a customer elsewhere, so I had to wait at the counter for a while. I suppose it’s not he fault, but there should be enough people working so that the ONLY cutter can keep cutting fabric. And in terms of the other staff, they were organizing fabric, as is understandable, but they were crowding me, reaching over me to straighten up the shelves, and in my way (two of them talking) so much that I actually had to work around them, instead of them working around me. Now that is totally not meant to be a snotty thing to say, but it was a little surprising that they weren’t a little more sensitive.
#2: Their fabric selection is awesome! Beautiful fresh prints.
#3: Their selection of other supplies is also great – basically, they rock at selection.
#4: Their minimum quantity for fabric is ¹⁄₈ of a yard! Awesome!
#5: Prices fair, but not great.
Overall, worth going to for selection, but may want to shop around on prices first if you have the luxury.

I’ll admit that I don’t have a lot of time on my hands to be basket-​weaving, fabric-​sewing, croqueting, and scrap-​booking. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE ARTS & CRAFTS and DIY projects.
Around this time last year, I was desperate for a cute, fun, and unique Halloween costume to wear to my school’s dance. I didn’t want to be a naughty nurse or a sexy french maid, nor did I want to spend $ 50 – 100 for tacky costumes that probably didn’t fit me very well.
So I had this CRAZY idea to MAKE my own costume.
For someone who was not familiar with fabric stores, I was blown away by the shelves of giant fabric rolls in all colors of the rainbow. I was lost in a cache of fleece, flannel, floral prints, stickers, pins, buttons, needles, velcro, and ribbons. I carefully selected a radiant red and the perfect purple fabrics, as well as safety pins. Bf grabbed yellow & black fabrics for his costume — Scorpion from Mortal Kombat… oops, did I just announce that to the public?
Process (as simple as the deli section of the market):
1. Bring desired roll of fabric to the fabric cutting counter
2. A lady cuts it into «purchasable» sizes (i.e. by the yard) and gives you the price label
3. Bring fabric with label for cashier to ring up.
I was a little irked when she refused to cut my fabric into smaller rectangles (I wanted her to use her nice pair of scissors!). She’d have to charge me for doing something «extra» …really… even if I pay for the pieces separately? BAH.
Thanks to Jo-​Ann (and my brilliant artisan skills), my costume was inexpensive to make and turned out awesome! 8-​) I might just have to hit up this store again as I’m still costume-​less this year.

least helpful employee ever. EVER. i wanted to wait until she was cutting this hideous fleece animal fabric to get her help, and she insisted on ‘helping’ me at the same time– totally awful. didn’t look for what i was asking for, gave me some attitude… I WILL NOT GO BACK!

Jo-​Ann has a huge assortment of material. I was deeply surprised how many beautiful styles and high quality fabrics they have. I loved the oriental silk pieces, the microfiber rolls, and felt variety. This is where I definitely shop for those hard-​to-​find colors and textures that I’m looking for.
Plus, this is scrapbook central. I have never seen so many aisles dedicated to paper designs and stickers. Although I was a bit disappointed at the lack of home designs options.

I’m a sewer and a quilter mainly, so this isn’t my favorite Jo-Ann’s. The emphasis at this Jo-Ann’s is definitely on the *crafts* and not so much the fabrics — the notions and fabric selection here is smaller than at some other locations — I’m thinking of Westford and Tyngsboro, which both have larger fabric selections.
Since this Jo-Ann’s is right on Route 128, it’s a convenient spot for crafters in the area to pop in over their lunch breaks and get some shopping done. (I do it all the time.) So this is the only time I’ve ever seen this place with long lines — especially at the cutting counter. I really discourage you to get any fabrics cut on a weekday lunch hour if you can avoid this crunch time.
The reason I don’t like this place much is it feels a bit picked-​over whenever I’m there — things are a bit unorganized and messy. Just feels a bit off.
This place has tons and tons of home decoration and scrapbooking tools, so if you’re into that sort of thing especially, you might really dig this Jo-Ann’s.