I have Adjusted my per yard threshold up to 10.00 but that now must include the shipping. That being said I did pay 11.50 per yard for one outstanding piece. But I would only allow myself 1/2 yard.
I have adjusted down the yards i will purchase on speculation ( ie no specific project). I never ever purchased under one yard. Now I will purchase 1/2 yards more than I ever have in the past. Many online companies will not allow 1/2 yard cuts , so I do not purchase quite as much on line as I used to.

I *try* to only shop sales. Online, I've never spent more than $4/yrd. In my local place, I've spent up to $10/yrd. Actually, every time I try to buy more expensive fabric at my local fabric land, they tell me about a 50% off members sale coming up, so I wait! lol That usually brings my expensive fabric down to $7-8/yrd...

I'm so frugal, I usually shop the on-line sales in the $3-4 range. Most of my fabric has come from a friend who knows how to yard sale! Recently tho, I spent $8 @ at my LQS. My DH was with me and he commented on a particular fabric about how pretty it was. He NEVER does that. I went back later and go a yard of it and that was made up into a tablerunner for him for his birthday to set his halloween village on. (His birthday is on Halloween) To me, that was money well spent!

It depends on if I really have to have it, lol! I know I have spent more than my limit on some really great batiks.......

Well, thank you for your kind words, Susiequilt! You know, Hoffman is *still* printing that wonderful cardinal fabric. I think that there was a quilt pattern out that called for fussy-cutting the cardinals, and people wanted to know how many bird squares you could get out of a yard.

BTW we only raised the price a dime/yard since you bought it. We - and a lot of other shops out there - are doing all we can to keep quilting affordable.

This is my basic way of thinking too. The Bouquet Gallery that I have on order from you is WAY WAY WAYYYYYY above my usual price point. But I loved it so much, I decided that it was for me and that I am priceless. I don't think I have EVER bought an entire line of fabric. Usually one or two and then fill in the rest with solids/blenders.

I do tend to spend a little more if it is planned as a specific gift, depending on the person it is going to. I do tend to use a lot of solids in my quilts. That way I can spend the money on the piece that I really want and make up the rest of the quilt with high quality solids/blenders. That is one reason that I LOVE Connecting Threads Mirages. Great quality fabric and great colors without the huge expense of the blenders which seem to cost as much as the higher price prints.

We are a cash only family. Not even "emergency credit card" so if I see something I want at LQS and not enough cash, I ask if they can put it back for me. If it isn't one I usually shop at and I don't have the money, I get all the fabric info and search online or save up and hope I can find it again. If I don't find it again....I have money saved for something else.

I'm blessed to not have to worry too much about a budget but I don't buy fabric unless it's a good sale price. My stash is built up enough so I can buy most any color or print that's on clearance and it will blend in with what I have. If I bought the new fabric lines for full price I wouldn't have made anything from it before I could find some of it on sale later on. I buy 95% of my fabric online.

Jane, when buying for the store, I hardly ever buy the whole line either. (I did for Bouquet Gallery, though.)

Usually the "whole line" includes three "feature" fabrics and then a whole bunch of coordinates. What typically happens, for us, is that the feature prints sell quickly and the coordinates slowly... and by the time that the feature prints are gone, the maker has no more. They try to entice the stores to buy entire collections by giving us a 15 cents / yard price break if we buy 'em all. But do the math! At a wholesale cost per yard of $5 / yard, you would need to order 500 yards - about 33 bolts - in order to get enough of a discount to give you one bolt for free. And there's usually at least one bolt in every collection that I actively do NOT want.

I always buy fabric on sale, from the remnants basket, clearance, and also from thrift stores. I bought 6 yds of green velvet and 4 yards of green satin from a thrift store for about $20. Made myself a cape to wear to church and still get compliments on it. Wont try sewing those two fabrics together again anytime soon, it was too slippery.