I visited a quilt shop this week and was so overwhelmed by all of the fabric that I couldn't really "see" what they had! I travel quite a bit and make it a point to find LQSs. Some are smaller and decisions on what to buy are easier. Others are large with hundreds, or thousands, of bolts and I just stand frozen to the spot! I almost feel dizzy! Anyone else experience this?

Fortunately, as evidenced by my stash, this isn't a permanent problem :lol:

Hummm, don't see it as a problem...I think I would probably think that I had died and went to Fabric Heaven...

There may be a few moments of dizziness, then the adrenaline starts.... and I feel like a kid on Christmas Morning ....

Okay so where is this shop? and how do I get there? grace

It doesn't matter what it is but I like to see the most variety, so to see a whole lot of fabric in one place would be awesome, because I'm always looking for "just the right piece". :-)

Tootsie, I agree with you. There is a quilt shop nearby that is overwhelming. I couldn't believe that I spent several hours there and walked out with 1 yard of fabric!

Everyone who's been there agrees that you have to go there with a mission or an out-of-print fabric in mind.

I believe it is all in how it is organized. My LQS does it by color. That is all fine and dandy, until you want to buy several pieces from the same collection. I like when stores group them by collection and then put their blenders by color.

I felt that way at the Hancock's of Paducah store.

A lot depends on how the merchandise is displayed whether it comes across as delightfully varied or crammed full of too much stuff.

I've seen shops that don't have a great deal of square footage that use every inch of space and still don't 'feel' crowded, whereas others that may even be bigger and not have as much will all but give you claustraphobia.

It's all in how it's displayed.

I was at one this spring that was very overwhelming. It takes a couple of hours just to see things and to actually pick out fabrics for a quilt is almost impossible. I have to go back several times because then I have in my mind what I want and what to buy.

I was at a store like that not to long ago. I've been shopping there online and finally visited the place and decided it was easier to visit online. It was worth going though, I'd never seen so much fabric in one place before. It was an experience. I guess the best part was seeing all the animals in person that I'd been watching online. They always have pictures of the animals so I'd watched them all grow up.
Okay you say your in the Western Plains so what state was this store in?

I have a shop about an hour from me that has 18 - 20,000 bolts of fabric. A lot of it is piled up randomly because they have run out of shelf space. I always love the idea of going there but am kind of overwhelmed once I do. It is hard to really look at the fabric because there is so much and it is jammed in. Also, if you really look and spend a lot of time, you are going to come home with hundreds and hundreds of dollars of fabric because you had so many favorites.

It is still an interesting place and I do love all the choices. But I would love to move them into a new location where I could really see everything - that would make it perfect!

Lorli,
You and I have to be taking about the same place. Fieldstone House, right?

Oh to have that problem :) Since our local Walmart discontinued their fabric department, I now have to travel an hour to find fabric. I have nothing agaisnt buying on-line but there is something about touching/feeling/smelling (you get the picture) I'm making a run to Bangor this am to pick up 4yrds of black fabric so I can start the quilt my daughter has requested. (I have a 50% off coupon at Joann's so I'm planning on picking a higher end quality fabric) Round trip will take me at least 3.5hrs to accomplish the simple task of buying 1 piece of fabric. To be totally honest though.....the chances of me leaving with only 1 piece of fabric is pretty limited. LOL

This is actually a Social Psychology phenomenon. I recall a study that was conducted on children drawing with crayons. When the children were given a basic set of crayons that had all the main colors, they were much happier than when they were given the ultimate package of crayons that had every color variation under the sun. We do not do well when we have too many choices. I get downright upset when I stand in front of the gynormous wall of cereal. HOW IN THE HECK am I supposed to make up my mind. SO YES, a QS can have too much fabric.

I would love it, although it does probaly take forever to find what you want. Dangerous for me though, the more I swa, the more I'd want to buy, lol!

I agree with all of you. A couple of weeks ago I took a friend to three different shops. She was looking for fabric to make a quilt as a wedding present. The first shop is in an old victorian house. The rooms are fairly small and they were crammed from floor to ceiling with fabric etc. There wasn't room to back up and really look without bumping into things. As a wearer of bifocals upper and lower shelves bother me. The amount of fabric and variety of patterns etc. was overwhelming. The light was good.
The next shop was a similar building but less crammed and more room to move around. The light there was not good. I spent $67. They had a whole room of clearance. After almost an hour of taking down and comparing dozens of bolts she left with nothing. The last shop was smaller, less crowded and lots fewer choices. I only spent $20. Oh, I spent at least $10 at the first one. My friend bought us lunch at Burger King and gave me some gas money. She was empty handed.

I have the same problem. It's almost overwhelming. I like my small stores here.

I especially hate it when the bolts are so crammed together you can't even tip one out to have a look!

where is it ???

LOL, yes one can have too much fabric, there is one in Michigan that i visited and just could not decide what to buy there was soooooooo much and it was all over. Great store and i will go back, but i think i bought a few fq that day.

That's what we all want to know,lol!!
I love seeing all the fabric, but it is overwhelming when the LQS has SO much fabric you can't even begin to get thru it all. I usually walk out empty handed the first time, but plan on a return visit to narrow down my choices. If I walk into a LQS(and yes we have one that I'm talking about in my town) that has hardly anything on it's shelves, I wonder if they're going out of business. Sometimes less is more, but not when it comes to fabric,lol!!

I get overwhelmed too. Like a kid with a bag of suckers,,,which color do I want????

Well, I don't want to be specific on this particular shop, because it's my "problem" not theirs! But I think those who said that it's all in how the fabric is displayed are right. One of my favorite fabric stores that has a ton of fabric (they carry not only quilt fabrics) is in North Dakota and when I visit, I always find something to buy. I think it's because the fabric is arranged by "themes" and collections which makes it easier for me to visualize a project.

However, even when overwhelmed by fabric, I almost always find something to add to my project list. This week I came home from the fabric shop with a mini Bow Tucks purse pattern (http://www.createforless.com/Quilts+...pid146491.aspx ) and a cute notions holder pattern ( http://www.javahousequilts.com/scrip...%7C%7C%7C1&p=7)

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Does a bear poop in the woods? :lol:

The shop where I buy my machines has too much fabric. I don't think I have ever seen it all, actually. It is very overwhelming!! Can't beat their service though...great girls working there.

I feel the same way! Couple weeks ago, went to the LQS (have not been there since 12/09) and was amazed as to how many more fabrics they have! Didn't get anything, but when I have more time I'll go back and look closely!

:lol: :lol: You just never know who you might come across when you go "bear hunting" :lol: :lol: :lol:

There is a store not far from here that I refer to as the "scary" store. It has shelfs 3 bolts high completely packed and then a row along the floor. Everywhere you look is just bolts of fabric. The rows are just wide enough for on person with everything that is on the floor. They are sorted by colour which makes it a little easier but you have to know what you are looking for in there.

I like shops that group by collection too. I like Keepsake Quilting, but they group by color and trying to find matching pieces in the same collection can be daunting.

I drove my lovely wife, QuiltingGrannie,to Mary Jo's Fabric Warehouse in Gastonia, NC, this weekend. Yep, waaaaay too much fabric. I get confused because I am partially color blind. 3 hours at the store, I slept about 45 minutes of it. But. a fun trip and she got fabric and some other items. Remember, if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. <grin>

Yes, he did and yes, my DH is now a member! I'll post pics later and do a show and tell of what 'too much fabric looks like. :thumbup: :thumbdown: It has it's pluses and minuses.

where was the fabric store at????

Well welcome to the group! And I know what you mean about Mary Jo's! I've been there and had to ship some fabric home because it wouldn't fit in my suitcase!

And I'm gonna tell my husband that there's another DH who has "seen the light"!

Yep, and always where I'm walking....

hahahahahahahahaha :lol: :lol: :lol:
To be a member here you have to know how to cook breakfast because we take turns.

Only once did I go someplace that had too much and it was Blue Bamboo the online store. I went to their physical space. Talk about overwhelming! But it was COOOL!! would go there again.

I think it's quite possible that excess is daunting, especially if you want to match or if you are looking for something very specific, in other words, if you are HUNTING. But usually when I am in a quilt shop, I'm GATHERING fabric so there's no problem! The more the merrier.

tootsie, I agree with you, a shop that has soo many bolts can be overwhelming. One I go to a few times a year is like that, I need to go with a plan in mind.

It would only be a problem if I was limited on the amount of time I had to spend there :D:D:D