Redmond’s Solution to Buying Fabric Has Been Here for 50 Years
The Fabric Department sign in Ben Franklin Crafts and Frames in Redmond, Washington.
July 30, 2025
By Madeline Virginia
When Joann closed all of its stores this year, their crafting customers were left with a lingering question: “Where will we buy fabric now?”
For Redmond, the answer lies in a shopping center on Redmond Way, and it has been there for fifty years. Ben Franklin Crafts and Frames has over two thousand fabric options, and plenty of other supplies for local crafters to get their fix.
Bob and Shirley Ferguson opened the Redmond Ben Franklin Variety Store on May 29, 1975. The banner on the front door read, “COMING SOON…AMERICA’S FAVORITE FAMILY STORE”
Bob and Shirley Ferguson in front of their store in 1975. Photo via the Ben Franklin Crafts and Frames website.
Present-day Ben Franklin Crafts and Frames store in July 2025.
Ben Franklin stores have been around in one form or another since the late 1920s. It was one of the first retail franchise examples in America, in which stores are owned and operated independently— which is how the Ferguson’s store on Redmond Way has survived two parent company bankruptcies.
The Redmond Ben Franklin store still has small town charm all over it. The craft sections are adorned with project ideas made by staff. (We found the most inspirational being a pair of stuffed fabric geese hanging from the ceiling.)
In goose we trust.
The store is quick to provide for Internet trends, like Dubai Chocolate, bandana bracelets— and lest we forget The Great Friendship Bracelet Summer of 2024 when Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour came through Seattle.
Ben Franklin Crafts and Frames is located in the Redmond Center shopping area on Redmond Way, and its neighbors include local legends like SoulFood Coffee, J. Michael’s Pub, and Snapdoodle Toys.
