10 Sewing & Quilting Supplies to Keep on Hand | A Joann Farewell

When Joann's store-closing news arrived in 2025, it hit me much more personally than professionally. Good Vibes Quilt Shop carries a different mix of fabrics and products, but Joann was part of my creative life for years. I spent plenty of afternoons wandering the aisles for inspiration, supplies, and the occasional thing I absolutely did not need but somehow brought home anyway.

When my kids were little and my husband was on bedtime duty, Joann and Target were two of my favorite places to wander and refill my exhausted mama cup. I will always miss the convenience of being able to see, touch, compare, and learn about sewing products in person.

Archive note: I originally wrote this during the 2025 store-closing period. The clearance prices and Joann availability from the original post have passed, but these are still sewing and quilting supplies I recommend keeping in a well-stocked toolbox.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, Good Vibes Quilt Shop may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Product availability and pricing can change over time.

10 Sewing & Quilting Supplies I Like to Keep on Hand

1. Stitch Witchery

Stitch Witchery is one of those little products that can rescue a project or quick repair. I use it for temporary fixes, hems, and those moments when a seam or edge needs a little extra help. It comes in several sizes, so it is handy to have at least one version in your sewing toolbox.

2. Water-Soluble Embroidery Stabilizer

For embroidery, labels, and personalized details, I like having a printable water-soluble stabilizer on hand. New Brothread Sticky Water-Soluble Embroidery Stabilizer can be useful for both hand and machine embroidery, especially when you want to transfer a design or add a special quilt label.

3. Fusible Web for Appliqué

A good fusible web is a sewing-room workhorse. Pellon Wonder Under Fusible Web is an easy option for appliqué and other projects where you need to temporarily or permanently bond fabric layers before stitching. I also like Soft Fuse when I can find it, and I use Floriani stabilizers for some machine-embroidery projects.

4. Insulating Lining for Hot Pads and Kitchen Projects

Hot pads, oven mitts, lunch bags, and other insulated projects are great scrap-busting gifts. Insul-Bright Insulating Thermal Lining is a useful product to keep around for projects that need thermal insulation. I have also used Pellon Insul-Fleece.

5. HeatnBond Iron-On Adhesive

Thermo Web HeatnBond Iron-On Adhesive is another favorite for appliqué, fabric patches, quilt embellishments, and decorating garments with fabric. It is especially useful when you want to position a shape before stitching around it.

6. Quilt Batting

Batting is one of those basics that is nice to have ready before inspiration strikes. Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 Batting is a familiar choice for many quilters and longarmers, and black batting can be useful for quilts with very dark tops or backings where you want to reduce light-colored batting showing through.

I also use and recommend Quilter's Dream and Warm & Natural. Different battings create different loft, drape, and texture, so this is one category where it is worth experimenting to find what you love.

7. A Small Iron for Your Sewing Station

For my main pressing and fabric prep, I still love my granny's old 1960s iron. In fact, I have three of them just in case one ever gives up the ghost. But for a sewing-side table, a compact iron is incredibly convenient. The Oliso M2 Mini Project Steam Iron is a popular little option among quilters because it fits nicely beside the machine.

8. Sewing Machine Needles

Extra needles are inexpensive insurance against having to stop a project at exactly the wrong moment. Schmetz Universal Needles are a go-to for everyday sewing, and Schmetz Quilting Needles are designed for quilting through layers. Keep a few common sizes on hand and match the needle size and type to your fabric, thread, and project.

9. 505 Temporary Fabric Adhesive

Odif 505 Spray & Fix Temporary Fabric Adhesive is a useful basting tool for many sewing and quilting projects. Temporary spray adhesive can help keep layers or pieces in place while you work, especially when pins would be cumbersome.

10. Fabric Starch or Stiffener

Fabric starch is a lot like hairspray: everybody has a preferred level of hold. Some quilters like a light touch; I lean more toward the 1980s Aqua Net school of thought. I like my fabric crisp when I am cutting and piecing.

My mom used Plaid Stiffy Fabric Stiffener, while my grandmother used Faultless. Other quilters prefer products such as Best Press or scented fabric sprays. The right choice is simply the one that gives you the feel and control you like.

Bonus: Good Piecing Thread

I have long liked Gutermann Sew-All Thread for piecing and general sewing. My machines have always gotten along well with it. I use different threads for some embroidery and longarm work, but dependable neutral piecing thread is something I never want to run out of.

Why I Still Miss Joann

For me, the loss of Joann was not simply about one store. It was the loss of an easy place for new makers to wander, touch supplies, ask questions, compare products, and stumble into a new creative obsession.

I hope younger generations continue to have places that make creativity feel accessible. Sewing, quilting, crafting, and making with your hands can be joyful, calming, useful, and deeply personal. Keep making, keep sharing what you know, and bring somebody new into the fun whenever you can. That is what we quilters do.

Until next time, happy quilting!