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.

From what I have gathered, 3 yards is always a safe bet.

ONE yard if I like it..
THREE (to five)yards if i love it.....
and the WHOLE BOLT if i cant live without it..


Ive got waaaaaaaaay to many bolts around here..

I read an article that said to buy 1 1/4 yards that way you can more easily use the fabric in either direction because you are buying a square. This has worked well for me.
If I like it, I buy 1 1/4 yards
If I love it, I buy 3 yards
If I want to marry it, I buy whatever's on the bolt.

Since I'm always watching my pennies, now that I've retired, I sometimes only buy a half yard each of a coordinated group just to have it. Larger amounts I usually only buy if I know what I'm going to do with it. All of what people are saying is good advice, though. I buy at a good shop mostly, since my favorite one is only a mile and a half from my house, so I can go in and browse and check out the sale tables whenever I want. There are three other good shops within ten miles, so I'm really spoiled that way. I don't feel compelled to stock up a lot. One thing I've found is that fabric I bought more than five years ago sometimes does go "out of fashion", so you hesitate to use it for an important project. Also, my taste changes over time. One LQS sells a big bag of "scraps" for maybe $10 or $15 and I've found they often have more than one yard pieces included with a bunch of 2.5" strips, or cut charms, and lots more. Value way more than the cost. The surprise element made me try new things when bought one of them. Since you are mtgirl - are you near Kalispell MT? There is a nice shop there - Quilt Gallery, and another in Missoula, I hear. As for online, I don't do that much, because I like to feel the fabric and know exactly what I'm getting. Have done it if I know a certain line. Rarely get something cheap from WalMart or JoAnn's, usually just to test a new technique, or for a workshop where I don't know what the result will be. And since I really want my LQSs to succeed, and they give me lots of personal support, I use them whenever I can.

I make alot of quilts that I like to use about 20 colors so for me 1 yard to 1/2 yards suits this purpose. But for a large scale print that screams border .. its 3 yards. If its just destined to be a great go to fabric for background say a white on white or cream on cream ... and it at a great price ... I go for at least 6- 7 yards , maybe the whole bolt ( if at a can't be beat price). For my style you can never have enough white on white or cream on cream on hand for me that like not having flour or sugar on hand.
So much depends on the styles of quilts that are your preference.

Actually, I live in Georgia, but am a medical transcriptionist in my "real life" and that explains the MT.

LOL Wolph, I have to agree but I usually buy at least 2 yds if it's something I am really taken with! The reason for that is too often one runs out and needs more and it's gone!;)

Lately, a yard less than I need!

I usually buy at least 2 yds. If it's on sale and I love it, I will sometimes buy 4 yds. I'm ashamed to say I have way toooooooo much in my stash but can't seem to part with any of it. I might just need that one fabric to go with something!!! LOL. I, too, am an "older" person on a fixed income to only buy on sale. I like fabric.com, thousandsofbolts and connecting threads also as they have some good bargains. Happy Quilting !!

I mostly buy fabric from Craigslist or garage sale and have waaay too much!

I buy at least 2-3 yards. I brought two yards today at $12 a yard. Never again.

I also prefer many fabrics in a quilt. I gravitate towards inticate designs (mariner's compass is one of my favorites). I usually piece my backs also. For the backs I often use a Bricks pattern or a Burgoyne Surround that has dozens of different "reds" or "blues", etc.. I am trying to not re-use the same fabric in my Dear Jane quilt. So, like Lori, I find that I rarely want/need more than a yard of a fabric unless it is for a binding or border. Lori is right that so much depends on the styles of quilts that are your preference.

If I can afford it, I buy at least 3 yards for my stash (4 yards if I am afraid that the store won't have it later on). If I can't afford that much, I try to buy at least 2 yards for my stash. When I started folding my material like bolts and storing them on shelves, I found that almost all of my stash worked well together with each other. That gave me more confidence in being able to just buy something because it is pretty and knowing that I will use it later on in different quilts.

I buy at least 2 yards, and 3 if it might be also used on the border...There has been times that I find something so cheap and good that I buy 5-6 yards for backing...

I try to have a general purpose in mind. Questions I ask myself: Would I use it for borders and maybe focus fabric, then get 3 yards. Would it be a background fabric, then 2 yards. A supporting fabric, then 1 to 1 1/2 yards. Would it make a good backing, then 5 or 6 yards ( or more depending on size of quilt). If you like scrap quilts then Fat Quarters are great.

when it is a fabric i think would make great borders or backgrounds i buy 2-3 yards- if it is something i love but really have no idea what i would do with it i buy 1 yard- or maybe even a fatquarter- if i just can not even imagine what i would do with it- if it is a fabric i think would make a wonderful back i buy anywhere from 5 -10 yards...depending on the price & if i think i could use it for more than one quilt.
so, it really depends on why i like it- is it a good blender- fabric i would pull out & use often? then i need 2-3 yards of it- is it more of a feature fabric that needs other fabrics with? then maybe only 1 yard....i seldom have a plan when i buy fabric-unless i'm choosing a backing-

I buy a yard if it really speaks to me. If it is a great blender and a great sale I'll pick up 2-3 yards. Have been enjoying the 5" charm packs a lot too. You can enjoy the guilty, quilty pleasure of having a minimal amount of everything in that particular collection for under $10. The charm quilts work up quickly, make nice gifts and are just a lot of fun to make.

New to quilting (after a 30 yr. absence) .... and I've only done the rag quilts, so I like to buy 1/2 yard of any color that suits my fancy.

I am so hoping to take some classes and learn how to do the bindings!!!!! That was the part (years ago) that I really did not do well at .... now that I'm retired, I can spend more time and learn things properly!!! Plus U-tube is just great for learning things :)

jody

WOW I can't believe all you ladies who buy so much fabric of one kind. Perhaps it is my quilting style but I rarely buy more than a yard unless it is for a back. I mostly buy FQ's or a regular half a yard. I almost never put borders on my quilts and use a lot of white so I don't need great quantities of one color. I like the scrappy look. I guess that is why.

If it could work as a backing, I get 5 or 6 yards (those are always bought on sale). Others, I often get 2-3 yards because that length allows me to cut border strips LOF (if I don't want to piece) and I often cut my binding strips that way too. (I don't do continuous binding any longer but use double-mitered instead).

I live in Florida and am an MT in training. Welcome. Gina

Depending on what I want it for, anywhere from 2-3 yards to the bolt...batiks are apt to be in the five or so yard range "just because..."

me too! !!!!

Since my quilts are never out of 4 or 5 specific fabrics. I use collections of reds or greens or whatever comes into my head. For that reason I've been buying fabric from Thousands of Bolts (thousandsofbolts.com). I like their site because I can buy end cuts, ie; 15" x WOF for $1.95. These are all first quality from leading manufacturers that you would recognize. I just bought $50 worth and got a lot of nice stuff. Check them out.

I always take advantage of sales, bargain bins and remnant bins. I buy bulk quantities of solids, neutrals, blenders and less of pattern/novelties. Amounts vary....I picked up 5 fat quarters for 5.00 the other day (that is very cheap here...The marked price per FQ was 4.95).

Welcome from Minnesota!

I buy a couple of yards if the fabric is screaming at me to buy it. It has to be screaming... anything less than that I tell myself that I have so much in a stash already that I don't need another bolt put on a shelf. (I get the bolt cores from my LQS.) That said, I still have fabric that screamed at me, that I have never used. I guess my "screamer" was off...

Buy what you can. A limited budget never stopped me from getting my fabric fix.

If you're anywhere near Cumming then Threadbare Fabrics has a sale room that will knock your socks off. I go in there and buy minimum 2-3 yds of everything I touch. If it's regular price, I buy no less than one yard. FQs are a really big waste of money unless they're on a spectacular sale.

[QUOTE=gollytwo;5310387]My go-to quilt when I need to make one in a hurry is "I Just Can't Cut It."
That pattern has now become a HUGE favorite of mine....it has another name in our family. It's called "the Gibbs Family Wedding Quilt" as that is the pattern we use to make all the niece/nephew's quilt for a wedding present. My sister in laws and I make the quilt using material from our stashes for the kids. It has become a BIG deal at the opening of wedding presents so that everyone can see what each other's looks like!!

I do too. I never buy less than a yard anymore, unless it is for a specific project. I have found if I have at least 3 I can use it for borders if I want. and not run out.

you have all been a good help . I have been wont to know for a long time now. I have just started and found a little quilt shop in my no mans town we are so small there not even a coffee shop here but there is a quilt shop just down the road. Most her thing run up to $10 But they look better then walmark . She also dos the quilt king was $110 is that good. That is the only thing my hand can not handle.