How much fabric do you buy?
 

At age 69 I am a fairly new quilter and have been lurking on this board for a while. Thank all of you for your helpful hints, suggestions, and ideas that I have learned so far. I have been making Quilts for Kids, table runners, and that sort of thing and know how much fabric to buy when I have a pattern. My question when you see fabric that is "telling you to take it home" but you don't have any specific project in mind, how much do you buy? I would like to make some larger quilts for family members, but if I don't have a pattern I have no idea how much to purchase. Being on a limited income, I can't buy "just because" but would like to build up a stash for future projects. I think I caught the "quilting bug" from this board but hopefully it isn't the 24-hour variety and they aren't working on a cure for it. <SMILES>

i buy 3 yards if it's calling my name.

When I discovered the discount online shops with quilt shop quality---I started buying for stash. I often bought 2-3 yards. Fabric.com has a $3.99 a yard sale a couple of times a year with free shipping on $35 or more. That is when I bought.

ALSO--Thousands Of Bolts and a few times Connecting Threads on the clearance fabrics. Once and awhile I would buy more if it was patriotic as I make lots of quilts for Quilts Of Valor. I once bought 10 yards of a small flag fabric and still have about half left.

You might want to consider a budget per month you can spend on fabric. Then you would know exactly what you can or cannot buy.

My go-to quilt when I need to make one in a hurry is "I Just Can't Cut It."
For a large twin it requires 4 1/2" yards - so if it's a fabric appropriate to the pattern (shows 12" squares) I buy 5 or 6 yards.

Otherwise, if nothing in mind I buy, I'm likely to buy 3 or 4 yards.
I almost never buy FQs

On-line, I very rarely buy fabric that's not on sale.
Check our http://www.hancocks-paducah.com always has fabric on sale starting at $3.98/yard.

Fabric that calls my name I also by 4 to 5 yards. This would be an ample amount for a bed size quilt, with enough to incorporate some in the border. For stash building, I rarely buy less than 2 yards. A blender or neutral that I know would go with lots of different things, 5 yards, more if it is a good sale.

How much I bought was largely dependent on how much it cost.

Three yards is sort of a 'minimum' if I'm thinking it would be a good border type fabric.

I buy no less than 1yd, but more often 2 or 3yds. Welcome from NE Ohio.

For me, if the price is right then I would buy 2+ yards. If the fabric is really screaming for me to buy then 5+ yards. Then there are those great finds online (just bought 9 yards black with white spider webs for Halloween for $9.00!!!!) hehehe! Stay in budget and have a fun time shopping!

I personally do not buy for stash. I get enough leftovers and scraps for that. It is more fun for me to shop different LQS's for the new lines and I love the coordinated fabrics. This past year I tried to do pattern idea first, but I have bought just because I can't leave it in the store!! However you do it - just have fun with it!!

way too much-if I like it.