My experiences with Fabric Depot have been more often good than bad. I live about an hour south and sometimes, I even shop the website before I go and have my purchase "Hold for Pickup" so no shipping. They have regular sales, you can get the latest mailer with coupons if you sign up for the newsletter on their website. The last time I was there I couldn't find what I wanted for a backing and the clerk talked me out of buying a plain muslin, saying I wouldn't be happy with how much it would shrink and I should look elsewhere for something to match my batiks. If I could only go to one shop in Portland, this would be it.
www.fabricdepot.com