I have had the same experience with several quilt stores. They don't cater to hand quilting but there are enough that do that I get along. One of the reasons I like to hand quilt is that I don't need a lot of tools to do it so I am not going to be a big spender. I was shocked when I went to a quilt store in a small town and they did not carry hand quilting thread at all. Amazing. They had a good selection of fabric though. Again, I don't buy much because I just don't need much.