Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft

This was always my go-​to place for stuff I couldn’t find at Michaels… mainly fabrics and threads. Then I started to notice their baking supplies and holiday decorations.
Now, this store is my first choice. It’s closer and the aisles aren’t so narrow.
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I usually go for their paper crafting items. The last two times (in two month period) I was going to purchase a specific item. Going online to check where the item was available it indicated there was 1 left. However when I got there, no one could find it. Fast forward to last week. I went for a different item. Staff told me they had 3 in stock. But– no one could find them. Finally told me they have no idea why computer says 3 but no sign of them even in back room. I emailed Jo-​Ann Fabrics on their web site expressing my frustration but no response a week later. That’s my last attempt to shop there.

Jo-​Ann Fabrics has been my favorite craft store. I have found the perfect crochet hook. I also had a coupon for 50% off one item. I got that 50% off! I like how this Jo-​Ann Fabrics is huge. Well, to me it is huge. Great selections for a crafty person like me. Whenever I walk into that store, I feel as if I need to buy their items!

Did you know Jo-Ann’s does custom framing? Yeah, me either. My wife needed to have her college degrees framed for her office. The framing department is in the back center of the store (much like Michael’s). An associate took a scan of the diplomas and was able to digitally change the matt and frame color. It was a simple process. We left the diplomas with Jo-Ann’s and they called two weeks later saying it was complete. The frame looks great. In retrospect I feel guilty for not using a small locally owned framing shop.
I noticed Jo-Ann’s has a large selection of poster frames. If you’re anything like me, I have gig posters rolled up and stored but never seem to remember the size or have the extra cash to get them framed. Jo-Ann’s is an affordable option.
Watch for framing coupons in the Sunday newspaper.

Merp. Not great, not very friendly, poorly laid out.
I wish Michael’s carried fabric.
But if you want to make one of those slammin’ tie blankets, come grab some cheap fleece.

Just an okay store, it seems a little difficult to navigate and some things don’t seem to make sense where they are placed. Items are often out of stock also. Employees are really hit or miss there also.

I make quilts therefore I buy lots and lots of fabric. Unfortunately, when I want a variety of cheap fabric, this is the place to go. The store is huge, the location is decent but it is always very, very busy. Because the store is so huge, there is plenty of fabric to choose from, the variety is really good. The downside is they make it look like you’re getting a deal when they put it on sale or offer a coupon but the same brand fabrics cost a lot less at Wal-​Mart (although Wal-​Mart does not have the selection).
I also love that there is a Husqvarna sewing machine dealer located right in the store. The women who work there (especially Chris) are friendly and knowledgeable regarding the machines they sell. It is always a pleasure working with them.
Why one star? The cutting table. I actually go in with the attitude that fabric cutting will take a very long time and/​or I will be dealing with someone inefficient, crabby, incompetent or all three. This last time was the last straw. The clerk’s name was Molly. While I waited to have fabric cut Molly actually told someone who asked if they could have 2 2-​yard cuts of the same fabric and she said absolutely not, that is against «company policy» and they have to take 4 yards. Now I would normally not question that, but I have seen that done at every fabric store in town — how ridiculous to say no.
So when it was my turn, I had 8 bolts of fabric and some rick-​rack. I started to stack them on the counter when Molly announced that I had to put them in the order of amounts I wanted cut so all the 1-​yard cuts were together and all the half-​hard cuts were together. (How stupidly demanding!) Then she cut the first fabric crooked. She flipped it around and measured it, flipped it back and re-​measured it, then turned it over and measured it again (I could see that it was 36 inches on one side and 37 inches on the other). I asked if there was something wrong she said it was off and I told her not to worry about it-​I would square it up anyway. She still had to stare at if for a while before deciding to let it go. I have no idea what that was about.
So after spending way too much time flipping the fabric backwards and forwards over and over we finally move on to the second fabric. She asked me how much of it I wanted. Now remember, she made me pile it in groups of the amounts of yardage I wanted so I reminded her that the entire pile was going to be 1-​yard cuts. She rolled her eyes. After cutting this fabric, she rolled the bolt back up, turned around to put it in the bin with the rest of the fabrics that were behind her and proceeded to take out other fabrics from that bin (not fabrics I had cut) and roll them up! I said «excuse me, are you going to finish cutting my fabrics?!» She proceeded to the next one where again, she asked me how much I wanted. ONE YARD!
By the time we got to the half-​yard cuts Molly decided to weigh in on the project the customer next to me was making. I thought I was never going to get out of the store.
Lastly came the rick-​rack. I wanted 5 yards. Sadly, with making it look like the effort it takes for a power lifter to lift 700-​pounds, she started to unroll the rick-​rack. It was cut at a point that looked to me like about 2 yards or so. Before she started to talk, I told her it had to be continuous, not in two pieces. I got a big, heavy sigh/​eye roll from her (which in retrospect is strange since according to her, «company policy» says she can only give me 1 cut of the same product anyway). So she proceeded to roll up the cut rick-​rack before cutting me the 5 yards I wanted! I checked my watch, she was cutting my fabric for over 40 minutes at this point.
Not only was she inefficient, she was a condescending know-​it-​all that should not be allowed to talk to people. I could have had this amount of fabric cut in less than 10 minutes at the Cudahy store.
I have never had such horrible, horrible service from such an awful clerk. She should be stocking shelves and taking inventory, not working with customers in any way whatsoever.

I have used the talented framers at this store numerous times. Camille, one of my favorite framers, has always been so patient and supportive while I decide over mattes and frames. Her artistic talent is wonderful and her suggestions are always the perfect compliment to the art that I’m trying to highlight. I recommend this store highly if you are interested in taking your photos, prints, and paintings to the next level with quality framing.

I like this location and on my most recent visit, noticed that they re-​arranged everything in the store. It was a little tricky to get my bearings but it gave the place a fresh, new look.
I always go with a coupon (usually a 40% an item one) and they have an app to make this easier. You can just show them the coupon on your phone.
They have a wide variety of everything you could need for crafting and creating. I think they rotate which pattern brands they have on sale, which is nice.

I came to this store because the Brookfield location did not carry the stuff I wanted.
I presented this 40% off a single item coupon which I found online to the cashier when checking out and she looked at the coupon then said «this is a fake coupon».
At first I did not understand what she meant by that because the coupon looks legit; it had Joann’s name on it, an expiration date, a bar code for in-​store use, and even a code for online use. She said that this coupon was forged because:
1. They only offer coupons via E-​mail and you do not get coupons from any other sources.
2. The expiration date on this coupon is ~2 months away from today and they do not have coupons with an expiration date of that far away.
She then gave me a lecture in front of 10+ customers in line about how I need to go to their official website to sign up for the E-​mail subscription in order to receive «genuine coupons» and that they will not honor fake coupons like these because they are forged by «some people».
Okay whatever you say, lady… I took her advice and went to their official website only to find that what she told me was a lie — They DO offer printable coupons on their website without E-​mail subscriptions and the coupon which I printed was EXACTLY the same coupon (i.e. same expiration date, bar code, online code, and etc.) which is available to print on their website.
I can’t believe I actually believed her words and let her embarrass and accuse me for using a fake coupon when the coupon was 100% genuine. I then called the store manager about this and wanted him to «educate» their employees about the printable coupons that were offered via their official website.
The funny thing was that he pretty much repeated everything that the cashier had told me earlier… «We do not offer printable coupons», «you can only get coupons via E-​mail», «those coupons aren’t genuine» even though I’ve told him where to locate the coupon on their official website.
With that said, maybe Joann need to re-​train and educate their employees about printable coupons that are offered via their official website without E-​mail subscriptions.
I guess I’ll stick with Michaels for all my crafting needs.
PS — If you go to
then store locator, type in your zip code and click on «More Store Information» on any of the stores listed on the page, you’ll be able to print out the coupon.

I think its an okay store. Lots of different supplies for different projects. While they have a huge selection of fabric I swear half of it is fleece. I usually have trouble finding a fabric I like even with the selection they have. They have a lot of ribbons but I think they actually need more variety. Great selection of thread, tons of yarn, and tons of embroidery supplies to keep you happy. You might have to wait a while to get your cloth cut to size as there are times when 10,000,000 people need cloth cut at once (take a number… literally). They offer classes in a number of crafts, but I have yet to take one (I probably should).

I have spent a little less than a fortune at Joann’s in my time and if it wasn’t for the convenience and the selection, I would not go. The staff are not very helpful and actually quite snotty as if you are bothering them when asking them a question. They seem to have some issues with their prices too. One example of about 20 I could give you is:
Made a purchase, item was on sale — register rang up a completely different price and didn’t show it was on sale. You’re now talking 3 different prices involved. Girl stood there and just said, «oh, I’m not sure why that is coming up that way»… long silent pause… I had to ask her to check on it so she sent another girl over which you would have thought she walked to the one in Brookfield to find the item. Really? the store is not that big. Bottom line, I was right and after arguing and standing around, they finally fixed the price on my purchase. I have much better luck at the one in Brookfield, they are much nicer and much more helpful.