Thimblecreek

Would give this place zero stars if I could. The owners are hecka sketch! If they were a Frankie Muniz movie, they would be «Big Fat Liar». Srsly, this place is «lame af» as the kids would say these days. This place definitely does NOT keep it 100. Boom. Roasted.

Because I live out of the area, I usually order my fabric and patterns online. However, when I’m in the Bay Area I always head for this wonderful shop. They have a large selection of quality fabrics, with lots of sample projects displayed. The store is spacious, but cozy with a very large classroom with lots of tables and well-​arranged sections for notions, patterns and seasonal fabrics. The staff is always friendly and helpful with matching fabrics for my projects or explaining directions. They also email a newsletter every Tuesday that’s full of ideas, new patterns, pictures and class schedules. I used to go to a lot of closer quilt/​fabric stores over the years, so I I have a lot to compare with and even though it’s not close, it’s worth making the effort to order on line or wait for a trip up North. Their prices are in line with the other quilt shops and they often have sales and prizes for the «Gazette» contests. I wish I lived closer so I could take their classes and go on their fun-​sounding retreats.

Great selection of fabrics and a huge selection of 1930’s repro. If you’re a quilter I would def. head here. The staff can be a bit on the grumpy side especially when busy but the selection is well worth putting up with the grumpy faces and short answers. It is on the expensive side but again it is worth it for some of the harder to find fabrics.

I’m a Frequent shopper here & I love this store. It’s well organized & it’s easy to pull out fabrics. Many beautiful fabrics & lots of notions & embroidery patterns.

I’ve never liked going here because the workers have always been rude. 1 star for the beautiful layout and fabrics of the store. Came into the store in the morning, two ladies who worked there were happily chatting away and didn’t even greet me or ask if i needed any help. UGH. Bought something and they almost overcharged me! They don’t know their prices I guess… Won’t be back here. I’ll go elsewhere!

Closed.
Yesterday I went into Thimblecreek fabric store to look for a specific fabric. I was told that they «order 1000’s of fabrics» and that they did not have time to look to see if what I wanted was on order.
I had the fabric number and designer.
There were 2 people in the store at that time, one buying and me looking. 4 staff !
I guess I won’t have time to stop by their store and buy anything anymore.

7÷10÷2012
Sharon mentioned the atmosphere as cliquish, and I completely agree. I wondered if they wanted to sell anything as they were so reluctant to accept a $ 50 bill, saying very dismissively that they wouldn’t leave themselves short of cash. The clerk refused to take the cash and turned away as if she did not want the business. Finally, I paid by credit card, and the clerk never once said «thank you» and ungraciously shoved the merchandise toward us. No one bothered to ask us if we needed help despite the fact that we were clearly discussing our needs for the quilt we intend to make. There was no thank you or come again, and the feeling my friend and I had was that we were not welcome in the shop, and we felt as if we were intruding. We will definitely not return! There are plenty of other quilt/​fabric stores that will welcome our business.

Nice store — lots of fabric and nice space around the store. The aisles are wide and they have lots of quilt patterns to chose from. Some of the staff seem more friendly and helpful than others. They did start chatting with a few customers but stopped to cut our fabric which was nice. I live in San Jose and don’t think that driving to this store is worth it to me, but if you are local it’s probably a good bet!

I have shopped this store for many years from when it was in its original location in Walnut Creek, but have sworn off after numerous instances of being treated rudely by the staff. The quality and selection of merchandise is decent although surprisingly little floor space is dedicated to cloth. This store has always felt a bit cliquish, like a clubhouse for active guild members or frequent fliers in their classes. I have waited for service many many times while the staff chatted among themselves or with regulars who brought in finished pieces for show and tell but didn’t appear to be conducting any commerce. The sense of community is a lovely idea, but not when it interferes with customer service or makes others feel unwelcome. The staff have acted irritated, pulled faces, and looked pointedly at their watches when I’ve pulled them away from their fun to perform the loathsome task of taking my money. It’s a little hit or miss, sometimes it’s just fine, but just as often it goes beyond inattentive to overtly and deliberately rude. After spending thousands of dollars (not an exaggeration) at this store over the years I’ve had it and won’t be going back.

Treasure of a quilting store. Spacious and well organized — no towering bolts in narrow aisles. Full array of quilting tools, patterns, etc.
The staff is accommodating of the creative process — one can pull multiple bolts/​swatches and arrange on central cutting table while mulling over design. No rush to make a sale.
Not well marked from the street, but excellent parking. Lighting a bit glaring on a cloudy day.

I have been to this store a couple of times and just love it.
Nice selection of fabrics, patterns, books and magazines and just about anything else you may need. Lots and list of classes and nice classroom too.
Customer service is great. They ask you if need help to let you know that they are there if you need them but they don’t follow you around and pester.
They are a bit pricey but I think it is because they sell quality things and not cheap Walmart fabric and notions.