PKITTY1

I remember that the first fabric I bought for a non 4H project (a beach bag) came from Leggett which is now Belk. It is such a shame that so many stores that used to sell fabric have stopped or have disappeared.

Bobbinchick

I know they did back in the 60's in Seattle when I lived there. They used to sell patterns also. I don't recall when they stopped selling and also Fred Myer stores used to sell fabric too. There used to be a lot of fabric stores in down town Seattle and one could go just about any where there and buy fabrc, but not any more. What a shame. Huggies, Fay

Ellen 1

Don't know if anyone replied about the cotton question or not as I did not have time to read all 18 pages of responses. Anyway here it is:

The way to test fabric to see if it is 100% cotton or synthetic (poly, rayon, nylon etc,) is to cut off a corner of the fabric and light it with a match (or cigarette lighter) and let it burn for a couple of seconds, (don't burn the whole corner piece). After you put the fire out, the cotton will still have a soft edge where it's burned. The synthetic will have a hard, plastic feel to the burned edge.

Ellen

Jacqueline m l

Yes JC Pennys sold fabric. All types. My Mother always purchased our fabrics there. And often on sale for 4yds for a $1. And it was sold as folded fabric. Not too much on bolts. It was very nice fabrics. i still have some in my stash.

aorlflood

When I moved to CA in 1978, JCPenney was still selling fabric. Except I think it was just "Penny's" then...they added the "JC" in the 80's, I think.

I remember when the dime stores used to sell fabric, too! LOL

auntiehenno

In the 60's and 70's.

Rntraveler

Many yrs ago when I lived in Ft.Lauderdale and my daughter was a baby/toddler (1968) I used to go in to JCPenney's and buy remnant's to make her little clothes. I could get a remnant for a 0.25 cent and make her a top and pant...

Brought back many menories...

South MS Quilter

My grandmother, mother and I bought lots of fabric at Penny's. My grandmother and I would look at ready made clothes and then we would buy fabric and a pattern and she would make them for me. Lots of stores had fabric. I miss them.

JCL in FL

This, I am sure will tell my age but when I was growing up almost every department store sold fabric. Sears did also. They generally didn't have large selections but there were no crafts stores. Fabric was purchased at the stores that sold sewing machines and in our town it was Singer or at department stores. Many women sewed their own clothing and it saved money to do so, where as now it is generally more costly to make your own clothing. Though some quilts were made from purchased fabric most were made from left overs from clothing. We had a dress making factory in our town and you could purchase left overs from them but many people cut up their old clothing and made quilts from that. There were no synthetics so all the fabric was cotton or wool.

lclang

Sears, Wards, Woolworths, Penneys, and Ben Franklin all sold fabrics. Ben Franklin still does in our area but not the rest of them.