The patterns are gone!

I’ve heard the rumors.  I know it’s been happening all across the country.  But the other day I went to my local Walmart to search for a pattern:  and they are GONE!  Never again to be found in my Walmart.  *sigh*  We still have fabric – for now; but I have a feeling that too will be gone soon, as the available fabric stock is dwindling.  I’m not a happy camper.

Now I’m not sure where else I can go locally to find fabric and patterns.  St Louis has fabric stores, but that’s at least an hour away from me, and with gas prices being what they are – it’s not like I’m going to hop in the car for a ‘short’ jaunt to the St Louis fabric stores.

I know I can order online; and I’ve done that, but sometimes you want to go see things – put your hands on them, for the feel of the fabric – before you actually buy it.  So I got out the local phone book and found a couple (as in TWO) stores that stated they carried fabric.  These were sewing machine shops and they usually do not have a great fabric selection; but it’s better than nothing – however, many sewing shops don’t carry patterns at all.

I am really not a happy camper.  :mad:

Has your local Walmart stopped selling fabric and patterns?  I don’t know what Walmart is thinking – but someone needs to remind them that people do still sew, quilt and do crafts!  Hundreds of thousands of people!!

Where do you buy your fabric and patterns?  Do you have a local fabric shop close to you?  Do you order online?  Do you take road-trips to find fabric stores, driving an hour (or more), like I may have to?

Free Primitive Raggedy Annie doll pattern

Oh my stars – look at what I found today: Bowls-n-Annies: free primitive Raggedy Ann doll patterns!!! I am soooo loving these patterns!! How adorable and honestly, not that hard at all to make. I’m going to make my girlies some of these, possible for birthday, Christmas? I don’t know – both! I must make these dolls! They so fit in with my decorating theme. I could see them sitting on my mantle, my piano – anywhere. I could make one for my grandbaby, Lilly! The above site also sells the supplies to make the dolls, and this site owner claims to be a Christian. Squee!

I found the above site first, but apparently this ‘raggedy old annie’ thing is a doll making trend or something. I’d never heard of it, until today. (I don’t get out much ;) ) Here’s a couple other sites I found that also sell primitive raggedy doll patterns:

Raggedy Old Annies

Raggedy Pants (this one has a cute one called Lilly Ann!)

Threadbare Primitives

Raggedy Smile  Very cute patterns here!!

Little Missy Primitives

I feel like a whole new world has opened up to me. The Bowls-n-Annies site has a good tutorial on how to actually make the doll and how to tea stain the muslin. Very good, basic info there. It’s truly not hard. I can’t wait to actually get the supplies and make one. Who knew there were so many different ‘Annies’?! They remind me so much of my Emily and her red hair. She loves dolls, as does Hannah. So my girlies would just love my making dolls. And with me now having Lilly – this would be a good thing for me to do and I could teach the girls how to do it as well. ;)

[ad]