Yes, I am a petter and was raised by a petter- My dear beloved grandmother ( my Nanny). She was a seamstress and when we went to fabric stores she would feel fabric remnants and describe the content, thread weave, weight, etc. "I can see a dress with that piece or a slipcover with that one". Rarely did she use a pattern and she would purchase enough material ( not necessarily off the bolt) but with multiple remnants and make what she intended to make.
Even before I started quilting, I would run my hand over a beautiful piece of fabric and hear my Nanny's voice say "oh, that's beautiful".