There is a quilt shop in the pacific NW that appears to always be in chaos. But if I am looking for a specific fabric that is where I will usually go because the owner knows where every piece of fabric is located. She is an amazing woman and must have an incredible memory. She seems to also know what can be substituted if she doesn't have a specific piece that I am looking for.

I have to have 'breathing room' and some free space for my eyes to rest, or else I go bonkers and don't feel creative. If i feel like my elbow or purse or rearend is gonna bump some bit of clutter off a shelf because it's a stuffed little shop, i feel uncomfortable. If the cutting counter is clear, it practically begs me to fill it up with new fabric of my choice. If there's already a heap of stuff all around, I feel claustrophic and have to get outta there.

I found a new "to me" quilt shop or fabric store - not sure what to call it - on Saturday. Went with DH to a town about an hour away for our annual trip to get his favorite apples (Grimes Golden). We sort of got lost while going around the town square and wound up on a "business loop" around the town and when we finally found the right road out of town I squealed when I saw the words every quilter loves to see - FABRIC - on a store on the highway. Made DH turn around (which he just loves to do). This store must have been the twin to your store - but did not have time to look around too much as DH was in a fizz to get to this apple orchard before they closed at 3. I did find some absolutely fabulous batiks that came home with me. I definitely will go back when DH isn't in such a hurry. May have to go back by myself to make sure that I see it all.

If I can find what I want, do not think it would really bother me. As long as I do not have to live in it, I'm okay.

Probably the packed with people would discourage me more than anything as I would feel like I couldn't see things because of the people in the way.

Maybe their "everyday" prices are so low that people flock there? Just a thought.

The one thing I hate is when the bolts are packed so tightly that you can't get one out, or if you do get it out, you can't put it back in. (The same thing goes for clothing on a rack.) I also don't like animals in the quilt store. Other than that, my wallet is my guide. If the prices and selection are good, I'm willing to put up with some chaos.

There used to be a small shop from here that was not cluttered, but wasn't ever finished. It had been a gift shop, then new owners expanded by building on another large room. Never finished the concrete floor, which might have been okay had it at least been sealed. Raw wood... An area for classes was separated by a drywall partition, but the wood studs were still exposed.

People were very nice, and I'd probably still go there if they'd have finished it off and cleaned up outside. What had been a flower garden became overgrown, weeds everywhere. After a couple of years, they closed. :(

I've heard of a large shop near Binghamton that sounds somewhat as you describe. People either love it or hate it. Love it as there are several thousand bolts and really nice owners, hate it as things are stacked and smashed in. Honestly, it's my goal to get there and see it for myself! ;)

I don't mind organized chaos but hate clutter. One of the stores I used to have to drive to get to went way down hill, dirty, you could tell it had not been vacuumed in a very long time and was really dusty. On top of that the husband was working for the day md had his huge dog with him. And not a nice friendly dog! I won't be going back and I had really liked that store.

I don't do chaos stores very well. I'm a very organized person to start with and having to deal with someone else's mess gives me hives.