I have to admit that I’ve never operated a sewing machine but my wife sews and I have tagged along with her on errands to Jo-Ann’s and Hancock Fabrics. At least from my perspective, Hancock is far better than Jo-Ann’s(at least here in Bloomington). There seems to be comparable selection at both places(perhaps slightly more at Hancock) but the superiority of Hancock comes in their service. They are always pleasant and helpful, which is almost exactly opposite of how I would describe Jo-Ann’s. Hancock is located on south Veterans and is definitely not as easy to find but it’s worth searching for.