VERY GOOD QUESTION! I have always chosen my fabrics exactly the way you just described your technique...hours of pacing up and down every isle. For the first time this month I did buy some fabric online for a quilt I am working on now. I noticed most of the online fabric stores have collections, these are fabrics all made by the same manufacturer meant to compliment each other by a professional designer. I bought the Ellie Ann jelly roll, I couldn't have chosen better colors myself, and I am super picky about colors, I like a designer look. If you do not want the precut fabrics, there's usually a place below the jelly roll that shows where you can purchase the fabric by the yard. If you do not see the yardage options, type the collection name into your browser and maybe another online fabric store does have the yardage available.