It’s a Thursday morning in the multipurpose room of Soldotna’s Christ Lutheran Church, where a handful of quilters gather weekly to work on projects. Deborah Standefer fires up her sewing machine and stitches a blue, circular quilt.
But despite Standefer's enthusiasm, there’s a palpable feeling of loss among the group. Just two traffic lights north on the Kenai Spur Highway, the Joann Fabric and Crafts store is hosting a going-out-of-business sale. The Soldotna location is set to close April 29.
Standefer says she mostly shops at Joann for its selection of quilt batting – or insulated material between the quilt top and backing fabric.
“You never truly miss them until they're really gone," Standefer said. "We all shop at Joann's at some time or another, so I think it's going to have a big impact.”
The Ohio-based nationwide retailer filed for bankruptcy last year amid financial troubles. It originally planned to close about two-thirds of its stores – like those in Anchorage and Juneau. But the company wasn’t able to find a buyer willing to keep any stores open.
For quilters on the Kenai Peninsula, there aren’t many other local options to turn to. One of them is North Beach Quilting in Kenai, which sells higher-end fabrics. It’s a lot smaller than Joann, but shop owner Shonda Powell says many established quilters in the area already shop there.
“I get my fabrics from like, they're made in Bali or Indonesia," Powell said. "So the stuff that I have is not something that you're going to find at Joann Fabrics.”
Since the Soldotna Joann store announced its closure, Powell says she sees new customers every day. Some are looking for items her store doesn’t carry. Powell is hoping to expand the small shop’s inventory as much as possible.
But Powell says she’s sad that crafters will soon have fewer options on the Kenai Peninsula to choose from. She’s concerned that Joann’s closure will impact quilters on a budget and those new to the craft.
“I think that if somebody's learning how to sew, this is not the place that they’d pick first,” Powell said.
Crafters say they shop at Joann’s because of the store’s breadth of inventory. Barbara Steckel is a long time member of Soldotna’s Thursday quilting group. She says she’s used to being able to find a wide range of items at Joann, like every shape and size of velcro.
“Well, it's definitely going to have an impact, because when I'm working on something, I'm used to running in there and being able to find most of the supplies,” Steckel said.
Steckel is also involved with Stitches of Love, a local group that makes and donates quilts to those in need. Even though much of the group’s quilting material is donated, they buy a lot. And Steckel fears the store’s closing could make it hard to stay within their budget.
”We've been looking at other sources and looking at the prices," Steckel said. "We're not quite sure what the impact is going to be.”
For quilters on the Kenai Peninsula, Joann’s closure will affect more than just their quilting projects. Many also knit, paint or scrapbook, and are not sure where to go for their crafting supplies. Some say they’ll resort to Walmart or online retailers.
Standefer, with the Thursday Soldotna quilting group, says Joann is a landmark for Kenai Peninsula crafters. She says the store’s closure is a blow to the community.
“You go into Joann Fabric, and everybody in town’s there," Standefer said. "It's kind of a melting pot, you always see somebody that you know, and it's just been there for a long time, so it's kind of a highlight to the community.”
Standefer says crafters from across the Kenai Peninsula would visit the Soldotna store, and often make purchases at other local businesses. She’s concerned about how the chain’s closure will affect local employees and those who craft to make money.
