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                                                                    Exhibit 23.1

                 NOTICE REGARDING CONSENT OF ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP

Section 11(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"),
provides that if any part of a registration statement at the time such part
becomes effective contains an untrue statement of a material fact or an omission
to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, any person acquiring a security pursuant to
such registration statement (unless it is proved that at the time of such
acquisition such person knew of such untruth or omission) may sue, among others,
every accountant who has consented to be named as having prepared or certified
any part of the registration statement, or as having prepared or certified any
report or valuation which is used in connection with the registration statement,
with respect to the statement in such registration statement, report or
valuation which purports to have been prepared or certified by the accountant.
This Form 10-K is incorporated by reference into the following filings (the
"Registration Statements") of the Company:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
            Registration
Form        Number
----        ------
<S>         <C>              <C>
S-4         333-80763        10 3/8% Senior Subordinated notes Due 2007
S-8         333-10093        1994 Executive Incentive Plan
S-8         33-72445         1998 Incentive Compensation Plan
S-8         33-32809         Employee Savings and Profit-Sharing Plan
S-8         33-37355         1990 Employees Stock Option and Stock Appreciation Rights Plan
S-8         33-49690         1990 Employees Stock Option and Stock Appreciation Rights Plan
S-8         333-10087        1990 Employees Stock Option and Stock Appreciation Rights Plan
S-8         333-10091        1996 Stock Option Plan for Non-Employee Directors
S-8         333-55278        Nonqualified Stock Option Awards to Certain Employees
S-8         333-55280        Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. Savings Plan 401(k)
</TABLE>

and, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, is
deemed to be a new registration statement for each Registration Statement into
which it is incorporated by reference.

On May 29, 2002, the Company dismissed Arthur Andersen LLP ("Andersen") as its
independent auditor and appointed Ernst & Young LLP to replace Andersen. As a
result of Andersen's liquidation, we have been unable to obtain Andersen's
written consent to the incorporation by reference into the Registration
Statements of its audit report with respect to our financial statements as of
February 2, 2002 and February 3, 2001 and for the years then ended. Under these
circumstances, Rule 437a under the Securities Act permits us to file this Form
10-K without a written consent from Andersen. As a result, however, Andersen
will not have any liability under Section 11(a) of the Securities Act for any
untrue statements of a material fact contained in the financial statements
audited by Andersen or any omissions of a material fact required to be stated
therein. Accordingly, you would be unable to assert a claim against Andersen
under Section 11(a) of the Securities Act for any purchases of securities under
the Registration Statement made on or after the date of this Form 10-K. To the
extent provided in Section 11(b)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, however, other
persons who are liable under Section 11(a) of the Securities Act, including the
Company's officers and directors, may still rely on Andersen's original audit
reports as being made by an expert for purposes of establishing a due diligence
defense under Section 11(b) of the Securities Act.