Ok. So the sales rep came around, and showed me a delightful 36-piece collection of lovely prints that all mix and match and each one was more appealing than the next. And I couldn't choose from among them. They seemed to be best when together. You know, like a group of friends or a box of assorted chocolates.

So... rather than buy a bolt of just some of them and leave the others behind (sob) I decided to buy four boxes of FQs. Which ain't cheap, even at wholesale. Each box has 3 each of the 36 different prints.

And they're here. Now what do I do? I've spent four hours thinking (plus last night's dreaming) and still am undecided. (I'm sure there has to be somebody else out there who's as indecisive as me!)

Obviously I can sell 'em in a group, one FQ each of all 36. But that's expensive, and won't fit everyone's budget.

Or, I can break them into four groups, each with nine fabrics, so that makes a more approachable price tag. And I'm still confused. The colors, overall, include five groups: blue, green, pink, yellow, and neutrals. There are lights and mediums (no real darks). So... does this make sense, to do a group of lights, a group of pink & green, a group of blue & yellow, and then one of a little bit of everything? With no duplications from one group to the next.

Have any of you ever bought a BIG collection of FQs - major splurge? Or wished you had? Joy or regrets, either way?

I have bought a fat quarter set with 36 different fabrics. I really liked the fact that I could get the whole set. What did you get???

Yes I have. I haven't used them yet, but ideas are swimming in my head :-P :-P

Did you have a project in mind when you bought the set? Or was it just the appeal of the group, all together?

What I got was Nancy Halvorsen's new group, Garden Song. There's a panel (ordering that was a no-brainer) and then I bought a bolt of one fabric in the group ('cause you need a backing & border for the panel, right)? And then I "lost it" as far as making any more decisions, and got the FQ boxes.

Shoot. When you open the box, it looks great just by itself. I was struck by the thought that somebody at Benartex put into it, just deciding in what order to place the FQS in the box. They shaded, from dark to light in each colorway, blue -> green - neutral -> gold -> rose. Definitely eye-candy, to me anyways.

I would think it would be awesome to have a whole group, especially if they all coordinated....but yet, price is an issue.....what about some sort of buying plan??? You know, a person commits to buying them all over a period of time? This month they might get the neutrals for X amount, next month they get the blues for X amount....that way if the fabrics all coordinate someone could theoretically buy them all....

I've bought 18 x FQ in a set, in a colourway, for a particular quilt. I think 9 FQs is a quantity which can be used in one project. Personally I am always really tempted by packs with light, meds and dark of same colourway. But everyone's different and others prefer more of a mix!

I bought the fat quarter set because the colors were great. I didn't have a project in mind at the time but the set just so pretty I couldnt pass it up.

Nothing is more motivating to me then a big stack of fat quarters from one design line all bundled together. I bought a 99 fat quarter set and never regretted it. It was one of the best quilt purchases I made. Any quilter who has been to the bigger quilt shops or shows knows fat quarter bundles are not inexpensive but the value is unbeatable in what you are getting. One each of the whole design line. Bundling them in small groups and then have a discount for buying more than one group would be one option.

This is what the group looks like, so you can all see how hard it is to figure out how to split the groups up.

My first thought was to group them by color... but there really is not enough variation in light - dark to make it really "sing".

OMG - those are beautiful!!!!

I have bought both - fq bundles of a whole line and fq bundles of a color family in a line. I think you could try to sell them by both ways. It isn't like you don't have enough of them :) I am gonna have to look at these, not that I need any more panels or fabric :)