Jo-Ann Fabrics Refuses To Carry "Controversial" Issue Of Quilter's Home Magazine

The March/April issue of Quilter’s Home magazine features “controversial” quilts that Jo-Ann Fabrics deemed “too shocking” for their customers, causing the store to refuse to sell the issue. So what’s so scandalous about these quilts?

According to Design Crisis, Mark Lipinski, who edits the magazine, even offered to ship it to stores shrink-wrapped, Hustler style, so as not to offend customers, but the fabric store chain steadfastly refused to carry the issue, as the controversial quilts depicted everything from lynching (as a response to Mississippi’s refusal to remove the confederate flag from the state flag) to penises to Jesus dressed as Annie Oakley. While Jo-Ann Fabrics insists they are simply trying to protect their customers, some customers are horrified by the censorship: “”Good grief! What year is this???,” one reader posts on the Design Crisis blog, “Since when did JoAnn Fabrics become the arbiter of MY morals? I’ll go to church for that . . . and when I want styrofoam chickens I’ll go to JoAnn’s.” [Design Crisis]