EXHIBIT 5.1

                                                                    May 24, 2004

Jo-Ann Stores, Inc.
5555 Darrow Road
Hudson, Ohio 44236

      Re:   Registration Statement on Form S-4 relating to the Exchange Offer
            with respect to Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. 7.50% Senior Subordinated Notes
            due 2012 in the aggregate principal amount of $100,000,000

Ladies and Gentlemen:

      As counsel to Jo-Ann Stores, Inc., an Ohio corporation (the "Company"), we
are rendering this opinion as to the legality of the $100,000,000 aggregate
principal amount of the Company's 7.50% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2012 and
the related guarantees (the "Securities") to be registered pursuant to the
above-captioned Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the "Registration
Statement") filed on the date hereof by the Company with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the "Act"), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder
(the "Rules"). Except as otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms are used as
defined in the Registration Statement.

      In connection herewith, we have examined originals or copies of (i) the
Registration Statement, (ii) an executed copy of the Indenture (the
"Indenture"), dated as of February 26, 2004, between the Company and Jo-Ann
Stores Supply Chain Management, Inc., FCA of Ohio, Inc., House of Fabrics, Inc.
and Team Jo-Ann, Inc., as Guarantors, and National City Bank, as trustee (the
"Trustee"), (iii) the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and Amended
and Restated Code of Regulations of the Company, as amended to date, (iv)
records of certain corporate proceedings of the Company relating to, among other
things, the issuance of the Securities, the Indenture, the Exchange Offer and
related matters, and (v) the form of the Securities included as an exhibit to
the Indenture. We have also examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise
identified to our satisfaction, of such records of the Company, and such
agreements, certificates of public officials, certificates of officers or other
representatives of the Company and others, and such other documents,
certificates and records as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis
for the opinions set forth herein. In addition, we have made such other
examinations of law and fact as we considered necessary in order to form a basis
for the opinion hereinafter expressed.

      In our examination, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural
persons, the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents
submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all
documents submitted to us as certified, conformed or photostatic copies and the
authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. In making our
examination of documents executed or to be executed, we have assumed that such
parties thereto, other than the Company, had or will have the power, corporate
or other, to enter into and perform all obligations thereunder and have also
assumed the due authorization by all requisite action, corporate or other, and
execution and delivery by such parties of such documents and the validity and
binding effect thereof on such parties. As to any facts material to the opinions
expressed herein which we did not independently establish or verify, we have
relied upon oral or written statements and representations of officers, trustees
and other representatives of the Company and others.

      In rendering the opinion set forth below, we have also assumed that (i)
the Registration Statement,



and any amendments thereto, will have become effective, (ii) all Securities will
have been issued in compliance with applicable federal and states securities
laws, (iii) the Trustee is validly existing with all requisite power and
authority to enter into the Indenture and perform its obligations thereunder,
(iv) the Indenture has been duly executed and delivered by the Trustee and the
Indenture will have become qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
amended, and (v) the Securities will have been duly executed by the Company,
authenticated by the Trustee, and issued and delivered against receipt of the
consideration therefor approved by the Company, in each case as provided in the
Indenture.

      Based upon and subject to the foregoing and the limitations,
qualifications, exceptions and assumptions set forth herein, we are of the
opinion that when the Securities (in the form examined by us) have been duly
executed by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee in accordance with the
provisions of the Indenture and have been delivered upon consummation of the
Exchange Offer, the Securities will constitute legal, valid and binding
obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and
enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except to the
extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by (1) bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, receivership, arrangement, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or
other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to creditors' rights
generally and (2) general principles of equity, regardless of whether
enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.

      In rendering the foregoing, we have assumed that the execution and
delivery by the Company of the Securities and the Indenture and the performance
by the Company of its obligations thereunder do not and will not violate,
conflict with or constitute a default under (i) any agreement or instrument to
which the Company or any of its properties is subject (except that we do not
make the assumptions set forth in this clause (i) with respect to the Amended
and Restated Articles of Incorporation or the Amended and Restated Code of
Regulations of the Company), (ii) any law, rule or regulation to which the
Company is subject (except that we do not make the assumption set forth in this
clause (ii) with respect to the laws of the State of Ohio, the federal laws of
the United States of America and the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware (it being understood that we have made no special investigation with
respect to any other laws, rules or regulations)), (iii) any judicial or
regulatory order or decree of any governmental authority, or (iv) any consent,
approval, license, authorization or validation of, or filing, recording or
registration with any governmental authority.

      Our opinions expressed above is rendered only with respect to the laws of
the State of Ohio, the federal laws of the United States of America and the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

      We hereby consent to the use of our name in the Registration Statement, in
the related prospectus as the same appears under the caption "Legal Matters" and
in any supplement to such prospectus, and to the use of this opinion as an
exhibit to the Registration Statement.

                                        Very truly yours,

                                        /s/ Thompson Hine LLP