A few weeks ago on a trip to the grocery store I noticed that they were opening a Michael’s Crafts store in the same plaza just a few doors down. The huge space had been empty for awhile and I was excited to see something crafty and creative going in. It opened over this past weekend, so when we were shopping on Monday the kids said, “Let’s go look!” and I certainly wasn’t going to argue about a trip to the craft store!
We spent probably a good 45 minutes to an hour in the store just looking at all the fun project ideas, gadgets, gizmos, Halloween decorations (my favorite!), and we even signed up for their drawing of the day. We went up and down aisles and wrapped through big sections of different sorts, I even browsed the frame selection for awhile. We were at the point where we it seemed we had been down every aisle when I looked at my husband and said, “Did you see a needlework section? How did I miss that of all things?” He frowned, he hadn’t noticed one either.
I figured I must have been distracted by all the purple, green, and orange Halloween decorations that I was so excited about and I headed back to that section of the store, remembering I had seen a yarn aisle nearby there and knowing that needlework would probably only be a few steps away from there. I walked… and walked… and finally I found it just as my husband and sons caught up to me – they had the presence of mind to stop and ask an associate where needlework would be – far right corner of the store.
A lone one-quarter of an aisle in comparison to everything else in the store, stuffed in the corner like a used toy that no one wanted to play with anymore. The obligatory DMC display against the back wall next to the custom framing center, a few scissor choices, different size needles, and a few small beginner cross stitch and embroidery kits. That was all 🙁 Other things found in the itty bitty far corner aisle included a few latch hook kits, some quilting tools and larger scissors for fabric cutting, and a handful of books.
I know Michael’s has never carried a huge selection of cross stitch and embroidery stuff in their physical locations, but I was hoping for at least a nice selection of larger kits or some leaflets, or some fancy scissors to covet. Totally disappointed in that regard.
All that being said, it’s not a total loss. We picked up a few small things for Noah and Ethan to do this week since the weather forecast was looking stormy and I know we’ll definitely be visiting the store again soon. I can see us spending quite a bit of time with the kids. They had a very nice selection of airplane model building supplies that Noah was quite interested, some Halloween projects Ethan and I planned on making, plenty of drawing books for Lucas to pick from, and all the baking and candy making supplies our kitchen could possibly handle.
Well, enough of my pouting about rambling … back to stitching!
To order DMC and other stitching supplies online, visit:
How frustrating!! It’s always such a letdown when you get so excited about a new store (especially a new craft store) and then find that there is little or none of what you’re looking/hoping for. Our “local” (40 miles away) Hobby Lobby is getting to be the same way. They used to have several aisles of cross stitch paraphernalia…now it’s an aisle and a half and most of it is the DMC floss display and a half-wall of plastic hoops. It’s so disappointing 🙁 BUT…at least you found a place with some fun things for your kiddos. That’s always a score!
Don’t have any craft store in my town, nearest one is Hobby Lobby about 45 minutes away and they carry very little cross stitch supplies, so I have had to rely on catalogs, not the same looking at something in person and I have bought stuff that wasn’t worth the money I spent on them, but what can you do. Be nice if someone did a blog for reviews of products.
Michaels has always been around where I am, I live in MA. T
* They used to have a huge selection of cross-stitch kits and it used to take up about two aisles per store but now most only have the DMC spot on a wall near the yarn. I never go in there until I need a color of DMC thread, everything else I order online or try to get at a store in NH when I get to go there about once a year on to way to my grandparents house with my mother.
Now at least its just not my local stores – one near work, another in the town where I live. I actually think the area has gotten smaller in the 1 year that I picked cross stitch back up. 15 years ago, it had a full side of an aisle. Were the DMC flosses fully stocked? Mine never are, and of course they are typically out of whatever color I need. Grrr. I had a friend ask if I’d tried Joann’s. I had no idea we had one. Its across the town where I work and of course, the opposite direction. After DH gets a full-time job lined up for when he current one ends, I’m going to take off early and check it out. In the meantime, I’ve been happy with everythingcrossstitch.com.
How disappointing!!
The Michael’s close to my house has almost nothing in the lines of needlework anymore. I don’t even go in the store because when I do all the DMC is such a mess that it’s hard to even find what you’re looking for.
I have noticed that the Michaels in my area is reducing the cross-stitch space too. I basically only go to Michaels for DMC floss and the last 2 times, they were out of 310 Black, how is that possible???
🙁
That’s how my Michael’s is as well. The stitching is in the far back corner, about a half of a small aisle, right next to the door to the back room. It looks more like the clearance aisle than an actual crafting aisle, and it’s always blocked by an overflow of boxes from the back room. To top it off, I swear the light over that part is always out. My Joann’s isnt much better, but at least it’s a whole aisle in the back corner, the lights always work and it’s not blocked by boxes. Thankfully Needle In A Haystack is only a 45 minute drive and it’s on a main road that I use often for other errands so I always have a good excuse to stop by. 🙂
NiaH has said that stitching has been on the decline for a few years and knitting and crocheting is hot right now. Looking at the fashion runways this year, maybe needlework is going to be back on the upswing again?
Hobby Lobby is also the same way now. I buy the majority of my supplies online
I find that Joann’s is the best out of Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, and Joann’s where I live in GA. Order online alot!
Our Hiram GA store is the same….they do sell a few lights and a few kitted patterns but it is in the far right rear corner of the store. They have about 4-5 isles of scrapbooking supplies in the front……
They used to have a huge section and some stores still do. The stores change dramatically with the trends in the area. I haven’t even walked into a Michael’s in forever because I never know what is “trendy” so will they have what I’m looking for? It’s a little bit of a drive in heavy traffic to get to our closest Michael’s.
Paper crafts have taken over in Michaels. You have to look hard to find the threads and even yarn in our Michaels. I am so happy I can find patterns at reasonable prices on-line. Most of my stitchy stuff I get on line from 123stitch.com.
CJ
hey, i can relate to your story. most stores have a small area for us. yet, i found places near my hometown on line. i really don’t mind spending the cash on the stuff. i don’t drive, so i figured out the same ammount of cash spent on shipping would be spent on gas money if i had someone who drove me up to the neighboring town. thanks jen
I miss having crafts stores with larger selections of cross-stitching supplies. Its such a frustration to have to order online, without being able to just window shop and actually touch the items. I can only hope that cross-stitch will once again come back around and be a favorite hobby for many folks out there. It is time-consuming…and most people these days want quick results.
Not surprising that they had very little needlework supplies. My nearest Michaels is 45 minutes away and they’re the same way. Hobby Lobby is also getting to be sparse, too.
Now that you mention it, my nearby Michaels has gone down on their cross stitch stuff. What they do have has been hanging around for quite a while. They are adding fabric, precut small bolts of fabric, in that corner that used to be just yarn and stitching supplies. Quilting supplies are staying about the same, and they do have some fun scissors.
I’ve also noticed that iron-on patterns for surface embroidery are coming back and with the patterns are the aprons and dish towels to use them on. All in that little back corner of the store. At least there is a wall of discontinued items in that corner; sometimes I get a good bargain.
Someone mentioned their Hobby Lobby also cutting back on cross stitch supplies. The one in my area (south Indianapolis) still has a full aisle (both sides) with things for a variety of stitching needs; byw it’s next to Michaels.
Honestly, I’ve noticed that Michaels, AC Moore, and JoAnne’s has scaled back tremendously with their needlework crafts, and it makes me sad. It was one of the few reasons I wanted to visit Michaels. Joanne’s and AC Moore had a bunch of kits on clearance this year, and I went in and bought up all the kits that I’d been wanting for so long but didn’t want to pay 50-bucks for. It was a bitter-sweet moment, but at least I still get my needlework catalogs (like Herrshners) to swoon over. Also, I’m really enjoying your blog. It’s my first visit, but I’m excited about it! Thank you!!!
I have access to three Michael’s stores in my city but the little old ladies own a shop in the bedroom community an hour away is the only place I can buy anything. I called Michael’s customer service line about stocking shortage issues with the usual DMC threads in their almost empty display and they said they were on top of it. That took 3 weeks… They do all of a sudden have a huge Ott light display and only 2 inch or 8 inch plastic hoops, a few needles and then a whole bunch of what I would call kiddie threads that are not DMC. I have to order from ABCStitchTherapy.com, or Everything Cross Stitch. Make me feel like a leper when there is no one to meet up with, no store that carries my hobby, and that I have to have it delivered to my house in brown paper wrap. Not tons of excitement there!