If Joann stores' closing has got you down, heading to the I-X Center this weekend is sure to give you a lift. You might make some new friends and find some retail therapy in the process.

Carla Smith-Georgal, owner of Village Smithy Emporium, opened her store in Fairview over a year ago to sell a variety of fabrics to other sewing enthusiasts. "I was sitting in my room with fabric ...