I never know what yardage to purchase when finding a piece of fabric that I like; not knowing what quilt pattern I will use or project. Any suggestions?

There are different ways of thinking about fabric.

If it looks good for a border, I get 3 yards.
If it looks good for a backing, I get 6 yards.
If it looks good for a splash of color, sometimes I get as little as a fat quarter.

Since the quilts I make are mostly large, I tend toward the larger quantities of fabric... :lol:

Unless I have a project in mind I buy small pieces just enough to wet my appetite. I make a lot of scrappy items so I rarely need 2-4 yrds of anything other than backing or sashing which I buy at the end to match what I have made. 1/3 a yard usually works so I can get at least 3-4 blocks with that fabric in it if not more so in the end it all coordinates. If your pocket book allows it a yard is a nice bit to insure you will get a good mix out of it in a quilt.

I buy a yard, if I have no idea what to do with it.

When I buy for stash, I usually get two or three yards. If I love it, I get five yards. I am truly sick. :oops:

What???? Just buy the whole bolt! :lol:

I'm with quilt mom, 3 yds or 4 if it is going in a quilt. When you take into consideration you might need it for border and binding. I never buy backing until the quilt is done. The size of the quilt determines how much backing I need to get.

always buy backgrounds especially if they are on sale.

2 yds backgrounds(black, biege off white, white, tan and etc)
Potential border fabrics 2to3 yds
Blenders (marbles, fabrics that read solid) 1 yard
Backing fabric 6-9 yards

Often times you can find fabrics that can interchange and make a quilt so buy enough to have enough even if it's a lap quilt

Buy FatQ's to build your stash and for scrappy quilts good way to build your stash w/ lots of color.

If I really like it , I buy the rest of what they have!!! and figure out later what I am going to do with it. Blenders , I have started to buy a larger amount , because I am finding that they fit in with just about anything I am making and then have to be cautious so I don't run out of one in a quilt. Needless to say , I have enough fabric to rule the world. But I am happy with it.
Elaine

I love the on line sales for 3 dollars a yard. I buy alot of backing this way and if I just want fabric for my stash I usually buy a yard.

I never buy less than a yard.

if its on sale and no hubby around 5 yards :) if hubby around and tired of standing in the quilt shope for 2 hours then I smile and say 5 yards ITS ON SALE!! with a big smile on my face! lol lol lol poor guy.

I like to buy 2 or 3 yards. If it is something that yells buy me I will buy 5 or 6 yards.

I never buy less than a yard...I prefer to buy a minimum of 2. If it is a good sale I will get up to 5 yards :D:D:D

As your stash grows and the usable space in your house shrinks, you can start buying sparingly. Until then, at least a yard. If it has a directional pattern at least 2. If it has a large repeat, at least 2 repeats. For backing at least 5. if it's on sale, or the end of the bolt ...... oh, I wanna go fabric shopping now.

I usually buy 2 yards, unless I am sure it's for backing, then 3-6 yards (depending!!!), and sometimes 1 yard if it will go with other stuff I am buying or already have, or think I can find!! ;-) ;-)

I don't buy any, I just steal from my wife's stash (jljack!!!)

I always buy 5 or 6 yards if I want to use it in a pattern. For background I buy about 10 yards. For backing I buy 8 -10 yards. My theory is use it now or use it later. I like bigger amounts because by the time I get to using it I probably won't be able to match it. I usually make queen or larger sizes and want to be sure I have enough to make whatever pattern I pick out. I save the leftovers for log cabins or scrappy.

I use the like it, love it, got to have it, method.
If I like it I buy a fat quarter,1 yd, maybe 2 yards; love it, nothing less than 3 yards; and GOT TO HAVE IT, the sky's the limit; I've been known to buy 10yards... surprisingly there's very few fabrics in my cabinets I don't still like after a couple of years.

I like to leave something from the store where fabric is purchased with it in my stash. If I run short, I have a clue where to go get more and then hope they still have more!

When I first started quilting, I used to get a quarter of a yard when something struck my eye. I now have much variety and not much of any one thing............until last year when I made a vow to myself. I now buy two yards. ALWAYS. Nothing less than two. Now, if you like to make lap sized quilts, this will be fine for you. But, if you like to make them for beds, you are going to want a lot more. Maybe as much as 4 or 5.

I want to go shopping too! Work gets in the way! :lol: I am learning to get more when I see something I like. Definitely a yard.

I learned a valuable lesson just recently. I had a backing that I had ordered on line, bought 6 yards of it for applique background blocks and loved it. Recently I started doing applique quilts with a friend as a joint effort. She loved the fabric so much so I gave some to her for her quilt. I then decided that since it was such a beautiful background, I would make heirloom applique quilts to be handed down to each of our 5 living children when I complete my "bucket list" and low and behold, I was down to my last little bit of the fabric. I searched everywhere on line and in LQS's for it and could not find it. Fortunately, someone on this very forum pointed me in the right direction and I was reunited with it once again. I ordered a lot more of it. Now all the kids will each have a different quilt but with the same background. The only time I buy large yardages is when I am going to use it for background for applique blocks or for backings. All the rest, I buy either 1 yard or if it is for a splash of color, just a fat quarter.

Another hint when it comes to fat quarters, if you have a friend with similar tastes, buy a half yard and split it in the fold, 1 piece for each of you, it is much less expensive than the precut fat quarters. My friend and I do that each time we start another quilt together. We each make 2 of 6 of the blocks for a 12 block quilt and exchange them.

I truly love the way you guys think! I moved to Kentucky from the Cincinnati area where I passed at least two fabric stores on my way home from work.

At first, I thought I would have to drive to Lexington to buy fabric ... then I joined a Quilt Guild. Now I know that I have not one, but three great places to purchase fabric within ten miles of where I live and all three have overwhelming selections for $2.00 to $3.00/.50 per yard. Since I am new to quilting, but not sewing, my philosophy has always been and still is buy at least three yards and as much as six, just because.

Also, I need to build my stash and no one really knows how much is enough, or too much. I am having the best time!!

No longer a husband from which to conceal my fabric, and definitely not one that helps himself to my stash.

I smile every time I read your messages, thanks for letting me join.

Angela

P.S. I am not really in hiding, it is just that Dunnville is so small that no one realizes it's there.

I am really bad..........If I like it, I buy a yard..........If I REALLY love it, I buy 3 yards or more...........I do not like to piece backs, so I generally get the wide fabrics for my quilt backs.....so, my stash grows by leaps and bounds..........I frequently wil not have a pattern in mind. In the past......I have run out of fabric, and could not get any more ( UGH ) so now, I would rather have left-over fabric - so I buy in larger quantities.

I usually buy at least a yard but have been known, esp with a good purple, to buy as many as 4 - 5 yards. I know where my shortages are in my stash so when I find a good yellow or green I buy at least 2 yards of the fabric.

More is always better!!!