Hancock Fabrics

I don’t use a lot of fabric, but I’m a crocheter and a cross stitcher, as well as a mender and hand-​sewer, so this place is a dream come true! I’m so excited I found this place and I’m excited to go again when I have cash to spend! They were having a great sale that’s lasting into October, and lots of yarn and hooks and needles even colored cross stitch canvas to keep me spending and needling around for days!

Average. I can walk to it from my house, but if there was a different store nearby I would dump them. I won’t even bother comparing them to Gail K Fabric, because that place is awesome.
I will note that Hancock had some milky dot (for baby projects) that Gail K did not. Unfortunately they priced it so above normal that I didn’t even bother.

Forget the garbage on the shelves unless you are in the market for holiday themed fleece. Every time i go here, I lose IQ points. If I wanted to hear you wax nostalgic about your fucking astral projection painting project, I would hang out at the overpriced coffee shop where you probably sit for hours on end with your ipad watching videos on youtube and debating the finer points of whatever your professor at Agnes Scott happened to care about this week.
Or if I wanted to listen to you laud your retarded ugg wearing three year old with platitudes about how helpful and amazing she is for bumping into me SIX FUCKING TIMES whilst retrieving this trim or that bit of magenta lace (which, btw, I can ASSURE you that you do not need, though a fashion stylist and appointment with a qualified hair dresser comes to mind), I would give birth to my own little monster and drag her around with me on a sparkly christmas themed fleece lace trimmed leash, all the way around hancock and big lots and the dollar whatever ARGH HATE THIS PLACE.
DID I MENTION THAT THEY HAVE NEVER, EVER, EEEEEVER HAD IN STOCK WHAT I NEEDED?!
Go to Lewis & Sheron on Huff Rd and just pay the upcharge for not dealing with this fucking bullshit.

I was very disappointed in the selection of sewing products at this store. They seemed «out» of everything. I also thought the store was very messy and disorganized.

Hancock’s is a small but handy store with a good selection of notions, threads, patterns. and other basic needs. Staff are helpful and understand sewing. Fabric selection is very limited — wish they would ditch the home dec., holiday-​focused items, and bizarre candy display for a better range of garment fabrics.

I liked the N Decatur Rd location. The sales associate was pleasant & helpful, store was clean, sales were incredible (or maybe I just caught them on a good day for this part)! It was a pleasant contrast to the reviews I read beforehand.

If you’re looking for basic buttons or sewing notions, you’ll do all right.
The bolt fabric is pretty spendy; I hear that Ellsworth Industrial is the place to go for that. In the meantime, Wal-​Mart sheets seem to suit most of my fabric needs.
As to knitting stuff, I wouldn’t come here looking for needles unless you want some large-​gauge straights or plastic DPNs the size of magic markers.
Their yarn (as is the case with all Hancocks) is primarily Lion brand. Lion, however, seems to have stopped distributing their workhorse Lion Wool, which makes Hancock’s selection about 90% acrylic. They do, however, have cheapo sock yarn, with which you can almost always make something happen.
One more thing: don’t come here in a hurry; checkout inevitably takes ages.

I wish I could leave this place negative stars. It doesn’t matter what three things I have on my list, they are guaranteed to be out of two of them. Today I needed black thread, a long black zipper and black bias tape. All they had was the thread.
I really don’t know how they stay in business. Not only is the store pathetically under-​stocked, but the glacial service «speed» and frosty attitude when you ask when they might get another shipment of zippers is beyond the pale.
I’m not sure what makes me madder, the fact that they are always out of whatever I need, or the fact that I’m apparently stupid enough to keep trying to go there.

I love that this place is so close to my house, but I don’t love its small selection of stuff. This place carries the essentials, but if you want nicer options, go elsewhere.

This place is a little slim on the selection of fabrics for the projects I’m working on these days. If you’re into upholstery and quilting the selection is pretty good.
The woman cutting fabric this morning was awesome and shared with me a few ideas for future recycling projects.

Dear Hancocks,
You do suck. Really. I am a new sewer, the kind who gets all enthusiastic and spends a lot on projects. I went in there begging to spend money, and got indifferent/​rude customer service. I went back several times, thinking each time that maybe the saleslady I spoke to was having a bad day – I believe we’re all entitled. The service continued to get worse. I would ask questions about what I needed for my first project and be answered with hostile, mocking looks and rolling eyes, hughing and puffing. I feel like another reviewer, I can’t even describe how awful these ladies are without sounding hateful. I tried several times & just can’t find words that I’m comfortable posting in public.
I will say this though, I live about 5 minutes from Hancocks & 45 minutes from the closest Joann Fabrics; I am a new sewer so I had to make a lot of trips those first few weeks, and more than once I braved rush hour traffic to avoid going back to Hancocks. Why are they still in business, how can this be?

Ugh. Seriously, there is not one good Hancock Fabrics in all of Atlanta. Not one. Every single location is disorganized, dirty, and has downright RUDE staff working there.
Dear Hancock,
You need to liquidate your current employees, hire new and enthusiastic upper-​management hell-​bent on turning your shameful stores around and hire someone for your retail positions besides cranky old ladies that don’t know the first thing about customer service, move slow as molasses, and basically ignore the customer until they simply MUST interact with them.
I am a professional seamstress. I do this for a living. I have to buy supplies… A LOT! I love being able to get my supplies right away (as opposed to ordering them through the mail) so I have very limited choices of where to go in Atlanta. I like this location because it’s right next to a thrift store so at least I don’t feel like I’m driving all the way to the other side of town for just a pack of machine needles.
But seriously, Hancock… come ON! Where to start… the dusty merch shelves. The empty hooks and displays from where you’ve run out of something and haven’t ordered it yet (taking WEEKS to get something as simple as BRAIDED ELASTIC back in stock!!!). The chaos which are your «clearance» bins.
On my last trip they didn’t have the elastic (again!) that I needed. The time before that they only had a few packs left. I bought about $ 45 worth of notions, including some yardage of interfacing. One piece was the end of a bolt. it was 1 yard. Another piece was the same thing. It was 2 yards. And then I had 3 separate yards of a completely different thing. Not rocket science. When I got to the register I explained it. She stared blankly at me and then without ONE WORD rang me up. I couldn’t see the screen so I couldn’t tell if she did it right. I was worred she’d charge me twice for that item that was split into two pieces because one piece was the end of a bolt. Again, I explain this to her and she says nothing. I pay. I get my receipt. BOOYA!
She’s charged me twice. With no remorse, before the lady next in line could get in, I handed the reciept back and say «See there, you’ve charged me twice for that item but I explained it should just be one charge. She made the sticker to say it was 3 total yards and you’ve rung it twice charging me for 6 yards of that type.»
She says «But there were two stickers. One on each piece.» I say, «But I already explained to you that there’s only 3 yards there!»
Again without one word, she turns from me, does her thing on the computer and turns around with a new thing for me to sign, issuing me my nearly $ 9 back. Jesus… good thing I checked! Not one word from her as I give her my signed slip back.
Icky, icky, icky. I just cannot stand this place. But I am doooooomed to shop there sometimes, as no other place sells notions inside the perimeter!!!

Dear Hancock,
I know you try… oh well, maybe you don;t try very hard, but you try. I still feel the need to let you know that while i still drop by to visit, it is mostly out of pity. Your store is dirty, and old. You’ve needed fabric store botox and a good personal trainer for years. Remember a long time ago, when half your stores closed? Maybe they all should have.
I am not trying to be mean. I stopped in to visit today in fact. I was forced to buy some crappy yellow fabric for a project but i was not happy. Do you recall when Walmart had fabric– or a semblance of fabric? It was all brittle and hard with the ink sprayed on but not absorbed… I’m glad someone could take over when they left but its not really an honor.
I wish Joanne’s would come and eat you up. i want you destroyed by a bigger better fabric god. I promise not to be lured in by your 50% off giant yellow signs. That crap that was 50% would have been awesome for my grandmother to make an outfit with, but she’s been dead for about 15 years now.
To sum up, I’m sorry but we can’t go on like this. To quote Trina from a song with TrickDaddy– «I ain’t a courderoy b*^ch, I’m a mink ho.» You are too low class for me. Unless i use you until I can get to the better shops.

I am a full service artist. I do it all. So unless these people are having a vicious sale, I will not be back. OK… so the sign says «fabrics» I get that. But for my needs I’d rather go to the Jo-​Anns on Pleasant Hill in Duluth. They have everything I need. There, I can get more bang for my buck. This place… not so much. I pass this spot on my way to lunch or business in downtown Decatur, but the next time I stop here it will be to check out the Big Lots nearby.
Hancock Fabrics can kiss my ass.

I go to this fabric store because it is five minutes from my house. It’s a small store, with not nearly the selection of their other locations; the prices are still great. Don’t misunderstand, they still offer the same things (sewing, quilting, some beading, some knitting, and some embriodery) as the other stores, just not with the same wide selection. I wish Hancock Fabrics in general had more of a selection, but I do like their printed «designer fashion» fabrics. Because this location is not as well known, they always have the fabrics that the other stores run out of quickly. They have a lot of fabrics for home décor sewing, too, but most of it looks like Grannyville. I like the organization of the store, everything is well labeled. The sales clerks are great at this location; they are helpful and friendly, and genuinely interested in helping their customers. Service makes or breaks my enjoyment of a place, and I really think it’s great service over great convenience that keeps me going. They provide shear sharpening and sewing classes as well, another plus if you live close.