Quilt Shop: Fabric Depot, Portland, Oregon

Well now here's something:  I walked into possibly the largest fabric store in Portland yesterday with a coupon for 25% off my entire fabric purchase.  Not bad, huh?  Problem was, I felt so overwhelmed by the store, that I couldn't see anything I liked.  Not being one to waste a coupon, I ended up getting three yards of a red and white print that I knew I needed, and a bundle of fat quarters in different shades of gray.  Gray is a color not well represented in my stash.

Fabric Depot, as I said, is quite possibly the largest fabric store in Portland.  They have all kinds of fabrics, not just quilting fabrics.  The quilting section was enormous too.  Still the store had a factory feel to it.  Things were sort of piled up everywhere and the store was kind of dark and dreary.  It was kind of like going into the Costco of fabric stores.  There was a large cutting counter in the center with "the line starts here" signs on all four corners.  After your fabric was cut, you were invited to "stand here" in another line to pay.

All of that is fine if you don't mind being herded around like cattle when you make your fabric purchases.  And their prices were good.  A lot of stuff was on sale, and they often come out with coupons via mail and email.  The service on their website can't be beaten.  I've ordered from the website several times.  My orders have come promptly.  When they sent the wrong color once, they were more than happy to send me the right product and allowed me to keep the one they'd sent in error.

The store is on the other side of town from me.  Even that isn't a problem because I can ride lightrail practically to their door step.  It would be a long ride, but I'd rather ride the train than make my way through the requisite traffic jam that always seems to happen on that side of town.  At least I can do needlework or read a book while I wait to arrive.

I've heard others rave about this store, and so I thought I should check it out.  I just wasn't that wild about it.  I like the environment of the local quilt stores.  They're quieter and more personal most of the time.  They're smaller and so I don't feel overwhelmed by zillions of bolts of fabric.  It's also easier to find my way around a smaller store.  Generally, I can look around and see what I'm trying to find.  The likelihood that I would get swallowed up by bolts of fabric never to be seen again is far less than at such a large store.

So it's hard to decide how many rotary cutters to give Fabric Depot.  I guess I should break it down into categories.  So here goes:  For visual appeal, I'm afraid I'd have to rate it at two rotary cutters out of five (five being the top).  I'd go to one, but I know that some people find such a large quantity of merchandise appealing.  For service, I'll go so far as four rotary cutters out of five.  I did ask a woman where they kept their scissors, and she walked with me to the place where they were and explained their method for selling them.  (In other words, I had to give them the number, and they gave me the scissors--a theft prevention policy.)  Also, I didn't have to wait long to get my fabric cut, not did I wait long to pay for my purchases.  For prices, I'd definitely give them five out of five rotary cutters.  So, I guess I'd give it an overall rating of about 3-1/2 rotary cutters out of five.

I doubt I'd return there, mainly because there is a Mill End store nearer to me that isn't quite as overwhelming.  Their prices are at least as good; however, they do less advertising.  Mainly, though, I much prefer the more intimate sight and feel of a specialty quilt shop.  If I want the best of both worlds, I'd probably go to the quilt shop and find what I want.  If I don't like the price, I can always find the same fabric online for less money if I'm willing to wait for it to come.