HERB - fabric stores and allergies

[Lynette K LaFontaine]

I've been out of touch a while myself so it is conceivable thing have
changed.  But it would have had to been in the last 3 yr..
You are very correct in your statements.
By the way contrary to poplar belief Hancock's is not necessarily selling
lower quality fabrics than Jo-Ann's.  Some people will tell you the fabrics
look alike but are seconds.  In SOME cases this may be true.  but not in
all.  And don't let the factory applied price tags fool you.  I learned (car
dealers do this too) that as a retailer I can order fabric with any factory
retail price sticker that I choose.  Another retailer can get the same
fabric with a different factory price on it.  Now I'm not talking about
labels with store name I'm talking about labels with manufacture name only.
Also the sticker price has nothing to do with the volume that one retailer
may be purchasing.  This has misled many people including theses who work in
the stores.  This is a secret that I later learned was practiced by car
dealerships from someone in that business.  So the next time the ad talks
about sticker price be aware this guy's sticker prices are unique and
possibly inflated.
    Jo-Ann's was purchased by House of Fabric who also purchased fabric land
some years back  I don't know what is happening now but Fabric Land and
House of Fabric continued for several years to market under both names
posing as competitors.
     Truly fine fabrics have become a rarity.  I suggest shopping is
privately owned shops and mail order as these are the only places today that
carry truly fine fabric.  Don't get me wrong for craft fabric and some garb
the chains can be good; also children's wear and everyday cotton and
polyesters.
    I suggest Mill End these often have some interesting bargains and are
each privately owned  I have had wonderful success finding good prices on
truly beautiful fabric in smaller shops and mail order.  The amazing thing
is when these places have sales you just can't beat them anywhere.  You must
shop around even in these sources for price.   If you are looking to keep
authentic (period)go with small private and mail order.  Boy this is really
the wrong list for this isn't it;  but since it is SCA maybe it will help or
interest some
----- Original Message -----
From: J.Spiritstone <spiritst at prairie.NoDak.edu>
To: <herbalist at Ansteorra.ORG>
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 1999 11:45 AM
Subject: HERB - fabric stores and allergies


> I don't know how much you know, so I apologize if I'm being redundant.
> Also, things may have changed a great deal since I was learning about
> this kind of stuff, so it may be out dated.
>
> From what I understand, most fabrics have a light coating of "sizing"
> when you buy them. It makes them fold up nice and stand on a bolt
> without slumping (for the most part). Sizing is often the reason our
> grandmas will vigorously rub the edge of the fabric against itself to
> get a good feel because it breaks down the sizing like a washing machine
> would.
>
> Anyhow, some sizing still has formaldehyde in the recipies (to protect
> the fabric color) along with other chemicals that people can have
> allergies to. Discount and foreign made fabrics often seemed to be a
> little worse than everything else, and therefore I would suspect that
> discount stores might trigger more allergies.
> Ya Samee'nah
>
>
> "Carper, Rachel" wrote:
>
> > Interesting thing, there  is both a Hancocks and a Jo-Anne's fabric near
me, the Hancocks will give me a headache and scratchy feeling in the throat
faster than the Jo-Anne's.
> > Jeanne de la Mer
>
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