For many sewists and quilters, Joann was the place where quilting cotton, zippers, thread and a cutting mat came from in one trip. That option ended in 2025: the chain was set to close its last stores by the end of May, NPR reported.
More than a year later, shoppers have spread out across Michaels, independent quilt and yarn shops, and online sellers, and government price data show both the liquidation dip and the rebound. Here is where the business went and what it means for your next fabric order.
Trend Signal
56/100 Steady momentum
- Emerging
- Rising
- Mainstream
- Peaking
- Cooling
Fabric buying is still resettling more than a year after Joann closed
By our calculation, the BLS price index for sewing machines, fabric and supplies fell about 16% from January to June 2025, the months of Joann’s liquidation, then stood 3.5% above the prior year in August 2026.
Our editorial reading of the cited data, not a forecast. How it is scored
By the numbers
- ~800Joann stores in 49 states set to close by the end of May 2025NPR
- 17.4%US CPI for sewing machines, fabric and supplies, June 2025 vs June 2024BLS
- +3.5%Same index, August 2026 vs August 2025BLS
- 77%Rise in fabric searches on the Michaels website over the year to June 2025Retail Dive
What disappeared when Joann closed
Joann filed for bankruptcy twice, in March 2024 and again in January 2025. In the second case, GA Group and the company’s term lenders won the auction for its assets, and the chain moved to close nearly 800 stores across 49 states: 255 by the end of April 2025 and the remaining 535 in May, NPR reported.
According to NPR, Joann had struggled since pandemic-era sales faded, losing share to online retailers and to Hobby Lobby and Michaels while its debt ballooned. For shoppers, the loss was a large in-person selection of fabric and notions under one roof, with someone to cut yardage at the counter.
Michaels took the brands, not the stores
In June 2025 Michaels bought Joann’s intellectual property and private-label brands, including the Big Twist yarn line, but no store locations, Retail Dive reported. Michaels said it was adding more than 600 products across fabric, sewing and yarn, and that fabric searches on its website had risen 77% over the prior year, with sewing searches up 39%.
Craft Industry Alliance reported that the expanded assortment included Brother and Singer sewing machines, Pellon interfacing, products from Clover, Fiskars and Coats & Clark, and a larger range of Red Heart, Bernat and Lion Brand yarn. Michaels had been growing fabric and sewing in select stores and online, so selection may vary by location; check online stock before you drive over.
Michaels is the closest thing to a national replacement, but it inherited Joann’s shoppers, not its fabric floor space.
What the liquidation did to prices
The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks a consumer price index for sewing machines, fabric and supplies. It fell from 106.987 in January 2025 to 89.517 in June 2025, a drop of about 16% by our calculation, and in June it was 17.4% below a year earlier. The timing matches Joann’s going-out-of-business sales, though BLS does not assign causes.
Prices then climbed back. The index reached 104.146 in December 2025 and 108.287 in April 2026. The year-over-year change swung to +16.8% in June 2026, largely because June 2025 had been so low. By August 2026 the index stood at 103.709, up 3.5% from August 2025 but still 4.2% below August 2024, by our calculation. Against its December 1997 base of 100, the category has barely moved in nearly three decades.
| Month | Index (Dec. 1997 = 100) | Change vs. year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 2024 | 108.305 | +0.7% |
| Jan. 2025 | 106.987 | -3.0% |
| Jun. 2025 | 89.517 | -17.4% |
| Dec. 2025 | 104.146 | -2.7% |
| Jun. 2026 | 104.568 | +16.8% |
| Aug. 2026 | 103.709 | +3.5% |
Independent shops keep the most engaged customers, and face a supply shock
Local shops are where the most engaged makers spend. A 2026 survey of 3,076 yarn shoppers across Local Crafts Group brands including Berroco, KnitPicks and Crochet.com, summarized by Craft Industry Alliance, found local yarn store customers are the most valuable segment, while online-only and chain-store shoppers spend significantly less and rarely attend classes. It also found YouTube is “three times more likely to be the entry point for beginners.”
Those shops now face a disruption of their own. Notions Marketing, a distributor stocking nearly 60,000 items from more than 600 brands for over 10,000 retailers, stopped shipping after a warehouse fire on June 11, 2026, and laid off about 200 employees on June 28. As of September 2026 it had given no reopening timeline, and one shop owner told Craft Industry Alliance it had been hard to find other sources for many products.
If your local shop is out of a notion, the cause may be a distributor that burned, not a shop that is failing.
How to shop for fabric and yarn now
Match the store to the job. Michaels now carries mainstream yarn, notions and sewing machines. Independent quilt and yarn shops carry specialty lines and run the classes that keep beginners going. Online sellers cover bulk basics such as quilting cotton by the yard, thread and interfacing.
On price, the liquidation bargains of mid-2025 are gone, but the index shows no runaway inflation either. Buy staples online or in pre-cut bundles, and buy color-critical fabric in person or order swatches first, since screens rarely show dye colors accurately.
What to watch next
- Monthly BLS readings for sewing machines, fabric and supplies, for whether prices return to their pre-liquidation level near 107
- Whether Notions Marketing reopens, or its brands move to other distributors
- How much fabric and sewing floor space Michaels gives its stores through the holiday season
Where to start
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Sewing and quilting basics by how you shop
| Product type | Good fit for | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Quilting cotton by the yard | Fits quilters stocking basics | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
| Fat quarter bundle | Fits sampling colors cheaply | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
| All-purpose sewing thread set | Fits replacing thread you cannot find locally | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
Product types that fit the trend described above, not tested models. Check the exact listing before you buy. How we pick them.
Quilting cotton by the yard
Where to look: Amazon
For staples you use in volume. Check the width and fiber content, and whether multi-yard orders ship as one continuous cut.
- Buy exact yardage
- Good for backing and borders
- Color can differ from photos
- Cut fabric is rarely returnable
Fat quarter bundle
Where to look: Amazon
A low-risk way to try colors when you cannot see bolts in person. Check how many pieces are included and their size.
- Many prints in one order
- Easy to test a palette
- Small pieces limit layouts
- Costs more per yard
More: Hobbies and Crafts trends and how the Trend Signal is scored.
Sources
- The fabric giant Joann will close all of its stores by the end of May — NPR
- Michaels acquires Joann IP, private labels — Retail Dive
- Michaels Has Acquired Joann’s Intellectual Property and Private Label Brands — Craft Industry Alliance
- CPI, sewing machines, fabric and supplies, index levels — Bureau of Labor Statistics
- CPI, sewing machines, fabric and supplies, 12-month percent change — Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Notions Marketing Goes Dark After Warehouse Fire, Leaving Retailers and Vendors in Limbo — Craft Industry Alliance
- Yarn Industry Consumer Survey Results 2026 — Craft Industry Alliance
Questions readers ask
Where can I buy fabric now that Joann is closed?
Options include Michaels, which bought Joann’s brands in June 2025 and said it was adding more than 600 fabric, sewing and yarn products; independent quilt and yarn shops; Hobby Lobby; and online sellers. Joann was set to close all of its stores by the end of May 2025, NPR reported.
Did Michaels buy Joann?
Michaels bought Joann’s intellectual property and private-label brands, including Big Twist yarn, in June 2025. It did not acquire any Joann stores, according to Retail Dive.
Are fabric prices going up in 2026?
Modestly. The BLS index for sewing machines, fabric and supplies was up 3.5% in August 2026 from a year earlier, after a liquidation-era low in June 2025, and by our calculation it was still 4.2% below August 2024.
Why is my local shop out of some sewing notions?
One likely reason is the June 11, 2026 warehouse fire at Notions Marketing, a distributor serving over 10,000 retailers with nearly 60,000 items. It paused all shipping after the fire and had given no reopening timeline as of September 2026.
