You are so right. The shops have their own way of doing things and that's part of the appeal. There was a lovely shop in Phoenix Arizona (I hope it's still there) called the Quilted Apple. When I lived there, I was there almost every week. In Sevierville, TN, there's a sweet little shop called "The Cherry Pit." If you're ever visiting Gatlinburg, it's well worth the little side trip. Mary Jo's, which someone else mentioned has one of the biggest fabric collections around and nice people to boot. I've been in shops, though, that aren't particularly welcoming, or in which the stock is in disarray. That's as offputting as a pleasant shop is welcoming.