At least that is what I determined after my dismal shopping trip to find fabric this past Saturday. We live in LA (aka lower Alabama) on the Georgia border, just across from Columbus. The only stores that carry fabric in our town, Auburn, are Hobby Lobby, Wal-mart, and a little sewing machine sales company. So, I decided this Saturday to spend the extra gas $$ and make the 30 minute drive into Columbus to visit the Hancock Fabrics I had been to many times before.
When I arrived I found that the sign was still there, but the store was not. Annoying to say the least, but since I was there and had paid to get there, I decided to visit their quilting shop and look at the fabric there. Guess what, it was not there anymore either! I went to the Hobby Lobby, in Columbus, and scored a whopping 2 yards of cotton fabric that was acceptable. Then it was off to the new SUPER DUPER, HUGE, MONDO, NEW Wal-mart, where I was sure I would find something that would work…
WRONG!!! This new-fangled store didn’t even have a fabric department!! AHHHHH!! Needless to say, but I am going to say it anyway, I was seriously bummed! The only thing that made the trip worth it was that the Wal-mart did have the mini chocolate fried pies that our Wal-mart is out of. I bought all 5 boxes that they had on the shelf.
Since there are no national fabric stores that think that the lower region of Alabama/Georgia are viable markets, does anyone have any suggestions? I don’t have a problem buying yarn online, but fabric is different. Fabric is something you have to feel and drape. Wal-mart is not my first choice for fabric, but it appears that because of where I live it is one of the two only choices I have.
Thanks for letting me vent. I think I will go back to my knitting now….
DeborahFillmer.com 
Try http://www.nancysnotions.com. They carry quality fabric, and describe it very well. Some folks use Joanne’s on line also.
If it makes you feel any better, it’s not any better in Birmingham! There are no Joann’s left, and most of the Hancocks are gone. There are 2 Hancocks in the area, both south of town. One quilt store left in Trussville (Heart to Heart), several Hobby Lobby’s and all of our Walmarts have discontinued fabric.
The one time I purchased fabric online for a quilt I ended up purchasing more fabric at the quilt store because I didn’t like the selection I had purchased online.
Recently I have stocked up on fabric when I’ve gone to the Midwest, where there are still plenty of fabric shops. Of course now I have to pay extra for a 2nd bag to bring it home!
All very discouraging if you sew or quilt.
DK,
There is a very large discount fabric store, including upholstery and decorator-type fabric, in West Mobile on Hwy 98, called Fabrics by the Pound. They are listed on Overlook, but honestly, the little plaza is on 98. The phone number is 251-342-6563. I do know that they’re open Sundays from 1-5, because I was going to take my daughter then. Still haven’t taken her. I drove over from Lucedale, MS one day, but I think I’d need about 3 days to go through the whole place. Hope that helps.
Dianne in Lucedale, MS (Yarn Hades)
Sad but true. I just drove an hour to “Fabric Row” in Philadelphia, historically the hub of textile industry. Used to be store after store packed with everything one could imagine. Most stores gone.