Craft Deserts

Dear Dr. Per Cap:

I learned to sew at the age of 8 and it has been a huge part of my life ever since. Cultural regalia and more recent fashion trends like ribbon skirts and ribbon shirts have always been an interest. I also have good memories of making my own drapes and have even tried quilting.

I discovered recently that Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft stores are closing all 800 stores in 49 states, gone in the next few months.  This store has been in my sewing life as common as the grocery store.  In the 90’s they expanded and often when traveling I could find one nearby.

For many this store has symbolized a source of resources for all of our cultural and non-cultural sewing and creative needs.  It helps to bring our visions to life contributing to fulfillment by creating and making for ourselves and others. This loss has the potential to create craft deserts in communities, both Native and non-Native, across the country.  I’m saddened to think what will become of vacant buildings that used to be our fabric world, like a kid in a candy store that no longer sells candy.  When you see colorful ribbons swaying in the wind in unison with a good Northern Cree drum song you can look at it and know it most likely came from Jo-Ann’s, especially before the internet days.

Our creative visions sometimes form without a lot of planning. You might wake up on a Saturday and say “Today is a good day to sew a new project”. Part of the fun is going to the store and browsing to find what brings your creation to life. Touching and feeling fabric is an important part of the process.  In recent years I have been passing on sewing to my child.  We often browse, get new projects, and sew together.  How will we do this now?  In pow wow regalia we use a lot of specialty fabrics that you can’t find in smaller local fabric or quilting stores.

When you need something quick like a bobbin, seam ripper, or a specific color of thread where will I go?

We as Natives often travel to shop. In some ways it is the joy of the journey.  Road tripping to the shop and returning after a long day with your new things.  How do we keep sewing our skirts and shirts, making sure ribbon does not fray while I fret trying to find resources - the changes and challenges of online ordering, waiting for it to come, crossing our fingers it is the right color, the right weight, shipping costs.  As I hold onto my fabric bin a little tighter, and ask - how do I ease my sewing blues?

Signed,

Seamstress in Distress

Dear Seamstress in Distress

Unfortunately, I don’t know a straight stitch from a straight ditch.  However, Sage Mountainflower, a well-known Native apparel designer helped me out.  She’s part of a popular online Native beading circle called Rock Your Beads with Plains Soul.

Sage and her friends let me hang out in one of their weekly Zoom meetings where 20 regulars from across Indian Country work on beading and sewing projects via webcam while sharing tips, ideas, and just chatting about whatever is on their minds.  The group formed during Covid and is another example of an innovative way to learn and socialize that has outlived the pandemic.

Everyone one of them is heartbroken about Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores going under too.

They all shared similar stories of what the business has meant to them while offering suggestions for the future.  One person said she has always thrifted fabric at garage sales, estate sales, and thrift shops which she’ll try to do more of now.  She’s also keen on taking apart old clothing and repurposing the fabric for a new piece.  With so much old clothing ending up in landfills you’ve got to appreciate her resourcefulness.

Another person suggested reaching out to Native owned trader shops and cloth dealers who offer unique Native themed fabrics and other materials as a good source.  There are also still other large national retailers selling fabrics, although none specialize to the extent of Jo-Ann’s. 

One woman in the Northwest Territories of Canada with no access to fabric stores mentioned the same risks you shared about buying materials online.  But said she’s had success trading fabrics with others.

I’m sorry I can’t be more help on this one. I think the best I can offer is a message of unity in the face of adversity.  I know the loss of Jo-Ann’s feels worse than a frayed ribbon on a one-inch hem, but don’t lose faith.  Keep the tradition of Native sewing alive with friends and family by sharing knowledge, resources, ideas along with fabrics and materials.   Native resiliency at its best is what I learned from Rock Your Beads, and just maybe there’s an innovative business opportunity for an entrepreneurial Native person in the midst of this setback.

Next time your bobbin thread runs out at 2 am the night before an order is due, just remember it’s always darkest right before dawn.

Ask Dr. Per Cap is a program funded by First Nations Development Institute with assistance from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. For more information, visit www.firstnations.org. To send a question to Dr. Per Cap, email askdrpercap@firstnations.org.