No rules for me...I buy what I can afford!

I thought so, too, until I ended up with fabric pieces with squares cut out of the corners. Most annoying!!

Generally, I buy a yard. The real challenge is using your stash :wink:

It depends! Yesterday I scored 29.5 yards for $70 at Hancock's clearance. 4 fabrics I bought everything on the bolt. The rest were in the 1-3 yard range depending on price and "feelin the luv".

A fabric stash is something that grows on you. You don't accumulate it; it finds you. Next thing you know, you are expanding your home to make room for the stash. Every wall in your house will have some sort of shelving on it to accommodate your unexpected guest. You have asked your children to move on and get a life, forgetting they are only 10. What is WRONG with me?? I have tons of fabric in my stash, yet I can not bypass the fabric department in Walmart. I know there is a deal in there somewhere!!!

LOL!! That is so true!! Only difference is I have 2 teenagers that look at me like I'm crazy. I swear I started with 2 pieces of fabric that mated.

I think it's going to depend on what size you find you like to make best. I make quilts for charity-kids and soldiers, so if it's a kid's fabric I try to get 1-3yrds, for soldiers 1-5 yrds if it's a great price.

Basics that I know I'll use-like red/white/blue or patriotic patterns, neutral tone on tones that will go with a lot of things, I try to get as much as I can afford-I have a yearly budget for fabric/supplies and keep it in cash in an envelope. Keeps me honest that way.

Some advice from one who has way more fabric then needed....you don't need to have an entire room of stash. I have a friend who has 3 closests full, and some hidden up in the attic because they remodeled.

Think before you buy, will I really use it? Do I absolutely love this fabric or am I just buying it because it's so cheap and I'll find a use for it sometime?

I've started only buying fabric when I could find enough to do an entire quilt when super cheap, because in the past I would just buy everything in site when it was cheap. Now I have a lot of fabrics that I just can't figure out what goes with it.

Now that explains it all. I just KNEW I didn't buy all that fabric; it's been out there multiplying like rabbits when I wasn't around.

Welcome to the board from Southern California!!!

If it's on sale, I buy lots of it!!!!

I used to buy 1 yd increments, but, soon realized, if it was something I really liked and wasn't project specific, I never had enough. So, now, my rule of thumb is 3 yds if it isn't project specific and whatever the pattern calls for if it is pattern specific. If it is something I REALLY like then no less than 3 yds, sometimes up to 5 yds, depending on the fabric.

I usually buy 1/2 yard pieces, this works great for scrappy quilts. This way I can have assorted pieces for a quilt. If I really lke it and its a fabric I may use in a couple quilts I buy 1 yard.
If I am buying for backing fabric I will buy 2 yards which will work for a crib/lap quilt. I wouldn't buy a lot at first being a beginner, you may change your mind what kind of quilts you want to make and the fabrics you like may change over time.
A lot depends on what kind of quilts you plan to make.
Baby? Children? Lap? Bedsize? :thumbup: