Happy Birthday! Lori

JoAnn, you are so special to me and sure all KTers that know you feel the same. Once again I'm so sorry your gift will be late! I know you had the best day possible...Another Happy Birthday to you!

Yes, you MUST write to JoAnn's about this. First, do you think the store is trying to get rid of its stock of McCall's patterns and keep some of the other lines instead? I'd make it a point of saying that in your area, it's not easy to go between JoAnn's stores looking for what you want and they do a disservice to their customers by not trying to accommodate more storage space for current patterns and by not helping you patronize their store. Because likely, if you'd gotten that pattern, you would also have picked up other items like fabric, new thread, ribbon, whatever. There are 2 JoAnn's stores near where I usually go to shop (probably one or two more that I don't know about -- I don't go there hardly ever). I live in a suburban area where things are not nearly as spread out where you live, granted. The 2 stores are maybe 30 minutes apart. But one is a larger, more modern-looking store (not everything cramped together), and I've noticed it has a lot more crafting supplies and seasonal decorations -- like Michaels. Maybe JoAnn's profit is now in that stuff? I am told by a neighbor who does friends' alterations that fabric is not so inexpensive anymore and that fewer people sew clothes (and that younger generations don't want to sew at all). And if JoAnn's website doesn't have the patterns, doesn't the company realize you will shop elsewhere? For a pattern and potentially more stuff, pulling your dollars away from the store? (Even though in your area there may not be an option other than JoAnn's for even a spool of thread.) The second point I want to make is that you should also write to McCall's -- explain the situation you found yourself in, especially the fact that the store didn't have much space for patterns. I know that if I were a manufacturer counting on a store to have good product placement, I would make an effort to work with the store (like maybe providing different ways to physically stock the product -- maybe those bulky metal cabinets aren't the solution anymore). Maybe a McCall's sales rep would be interested to learn that his or her product line was not being stocked and promoted to the best potential. It's always a good idea to write letters of complaint (or compliments) -- you never know when they'll get to the person who cares enough to make a difference. Good luck!

Happy Birthday to this lovely lady who has so timelessly and unselfishly created a Kitchen Table website for us all. There are cherished KT recipes...photos...helpful hints...you name it. It's a fabulous contribution. If you've never taken the time to visit it...do! http://ktgatheringplace.weebly.com/ Thank you, JoAnn!