Posted 3/05/2007 05:30:00 PM by Douglas

Wal-Mart can thumb its nose at just about anyone it wants: Federal regulators, local taxing authorities, unions, but there's one group it better reckon with: rural quilters.

"I should have named this the grandmas' and mamas' revolt against Wal-Mart," said Taft, a 63-year-old with a bowl of gray hair and flag-waving teddy bears marching across her red T-shirt.

Taft is one of a legion of quilters, seamstresses and sewing enthusiasts across the country who are wound up about Wal-Mart's plan to unravel its fabric departments at many stores.

For the past two weeks, Taft has been planted at a stop sign across from the Wal-Mart parking lot, disseminating to passing cars more than 3,000 petition letters, signed "A VERY UNHAPPY Wal-Mart Shopper."

A handwritten sign masking-taped to a rusted lawn chair exclaims: "Help! Help! Save our Fabric Dept. in this store."

Independent stores closed down when they couldn't compete with Wal-Mart, and if Wal-Mart follows suit, shoppers would be forced to drive 30 to 60 miles to San Antonio or other towns for sewing needs.

Admittedly, this isn't Wal-Mart's core market structure. Why make people drive 60 miles for the stuff they want when they can just charge more for it after the local merchant is out of business? Either case, Wal-Mart sucks, and the only way to make them atone is to stop feeding them your dollars. While you can.