DawnMarie

I have a friend who wanted 11 yds of fabric for backing a very , large quilt. The fabric she wanted had flaws in it. Some were in good places (where she would cut to piece it) and others where she'd have 1/3 yd she'd have to cut out or so. Anyway, she really wanted that fabric, and there were enough good lengths in it if she bought the whole 18 yds, so she did. She does quite a bit of quilting, so the little extra pieces were welcomed.

sewbeadit

That is too funny! Me too, I am a fabric collector!

jitkaau

Depends how cheap it is for the quality. You can always change the look by varying the accessory colours. I don't think it is usual here, at $26.00 a metre but I did buy whole bolts at one sale where they were selling off at $5.00 and $10.00 per bolt of good quality material. I've only just finished the last of it this year after buying them about 10 years ago. That has been a real saving that has kept me happily busy.

jeanneb52

Because I can....

michelehuston

I have purchased whole bolts, but mainly good quality muslin or a tone on tone that I know I will use for backgrounds. I have never bought 'colors' of fabric in bolts however.

sweetana3

When a friend took me to a wholesale fabric warehouse, I could buy a 5 yard flat fold or a bolt. I got a green depression solid bolt, a colonial blue solid bolt, a rose batik bolt, and the rest were 5 yard pieces. I am still using them for tops. The price was just so good. If I had been doing my charity quilts at the time, I would have bought a girl and a boy print in bolt sizes. (two years ago the wholesale price was less than $2 per yard except for the batik which was around $3.50 per yard.)

Recently a fabric store went out of business and I bought the rest of three large bolts. 60% off LQS quality was too good to pass up and I had brought the blocks that needed the fabric. So I have background or backs for these three and I love the fabrics so the leftovers will go in a quilt.

This is really rare for me since I love scrappy quilts but the prices were just too good to pass up.

redmadder

I've often bought the whole bolt of fabric that really wowed me. Used and used it in scrap quilts, for borders, bindings, and accents. And mourned when it was all gone. Marshalls has fabric. Uh oh.

Beehiveof9

I'd like to say I've never done it, but I have. It was muslin for backing. Usually I piece my backings, but there are always spots to fill in and that is what I use muslin for.

veryvirginia

Some buy whole bolts of fabric for their business. Perhaps they make quilts to sell, children's clothes, doll clothes, or something specialized and they know the fabric will be needed over and over again.

nhweaver

I am partial to traditional civil was type fabric, in pumpkins and rust and cream. When I find those colors at a reasonable price or on sale, I have bought a whole bolt of pumpkin to back my 2 Farmer's wife quilts. Now I wish I bought a whole bolt of the cream. I have used the 5 yards that I bought in the sashing and as accents in other quilts. Just started a Heritage BOM, and do not care for the dark cream in the BOM. That print is now $9.95 a yard and more, I will buy it when I have more $$ in the budget.