Annaquilts

I like fat quarters to piece the top, 1/2 yards or 1 1/4 yard for borders, and 4 yards, 6 or 12 yards for backs, 1-1/2 yard for binding and 2 yards for sashing. I might also buy 3-4 yards of one color to tie all scraps together.

karen526

I used to buy 2 yard, but graduated to 3

Bearpawquilter

The "gals at your local quilt shop" are not the quilt police. In fact they don't exist. Put together combinations that are pleasing to YOU!
I had the same question early on and realized there is no quick simple answer and it depends on the type of fabric, color, print, and how you will use it. It starts to come in to focus a lot better the longer you are into quilting because you know what you like, what you are drawn to and how you use certain fabrics. I personally love me a striped binding on the bias. For that you need a little more to allow for the diagonal cutting. Basics and blenders probably 2 yd. Cutting borders the length wise way is an excellent idea. No stretching and wavy borders. What an eye opener for me! A friend taught me that at a retreat and I still thank her for that. Worth buying that extra fabric or seam them. Piece your backs - add orphan blocks left over from the front - they are doing that all over the blogs right now. Scrappy bindings!!! Love them. Currently I am switching over to a more "modern quilt" look so am adding to my stash all the time. There are a couple of fabrics that I wish I had more of that are out of print. If you think a fabric is one of those for you, buy extra. You won't be able to get it forever. But there are yummy great fabrics coming out all the time.

grammyp

If I know it will only be used in a top, I get 2 yards. If I think it may be used for a backing for a lap size quilt, I will get 4 or 5. If I REALLY like it and it is a good deal, I may get all they have.

mom-6

Looking at my stash, most of my fabrics started out as at least 1 - 3 yard cuts, unless they were originally remnants. The only precuts I have purchased have been batik jelly rolls and a couple of interesting fat quarter bundles from the sale bin.
I'm finding that the fabrics I most often need more of are the fabrics that will work well for backgrounds or for sashings or borders. I have lots of medium to dark value fabrics, lots of focus fabrics, but not as many lights or blenders, especially in the colors I use most often. So now I know what I need to keep in mind when I go shopping. What I'm most likely to come home with? Probably more focus fabrics. LOL!

cricket_iscute

I've been passionately quilting for over 20 years and have a large stash. I started out trying to get a variety of colors, a yard or two yards each, after hearing a lecture on building a stash. Sooner or later, I can use most anything, but some of the early fabrics are still waiting for their quilt. I do make a lot of scrap and string quilts for charity and a few coordinated quilts for me or gifts. I do not use or buy many fat quarters, surprisingly. Until recent years, I could never see what good they would do in a quilt.

In earlier years, I bought what appealed to me, usually novelty fabrics, and then found I did not have coordinating fabrics, especially the tone-on-tone and other support fabrics. In the past ten years, I've concentrated on having one primary focus fabric (a bolt of it), additional focus fabrics in the same colorways (3-4 yards of each) and a wide variety of support fabrics, mostly batiks. This works very well for building quilts, and I wish I had known earlier to buy groups of coordinating fabrics together earlier. It makes the most sense. Now, I carry the main focus fabrics with me when I shop. I buy those at times, but otherwise, only what I need for a project.

If I could add to my stash now, it would be backing fabric, TOTs. and neutrals. I always need those. I wish I had bought more of those, plus thread, when I had the income to support it.

It is important to me to understand color theory as a quilter and I have taken a number of classes. That helps considerably to use what I have in the stash without having to buy more. One great resource for color as represented is equilter.com, as their design board and swatches are true to color and it is easy to get what you expect there. They also tell you what the colors are in amazing detail. I've never been disappointed there, whereas when I go somewhere like fabric.com, who don't seem to have reliable scanning of fabrics, I am always surprised and usually disappointed with what they send - if they aren't out of it and haven't said so. I highly recommend the use of a color wheel and I carry one with me to shop.


That said, I notice that your wonderful stash -- I'm assuming that is your stash rather than a picture you found -- centers on blues, pinks, and yellows. You have a few blue greens and yellow-greens and neutrals. Those will work nicely together and if you don't want to introduce other colors, you should be all set. I do notice, however, that while you have lights and mediums, you don't have a lot of darker values. You also don't have accents that I see. An accent for blue would be orange, a complementary color. For yellow, it would be violet, for pink (tinted reds), it would be green. The blue-greens and yellow greens could use a blue-violet, yellow-orange or a red-orange accent.

MaryL

Unable to answer your question; amazed at the stash.

crazy cat lady

She who has the most fabric wins, but you are the organizing winner !

Smg1678

I just have to ask, how long did it take for you to acquire this amount of fabric.....I can't stop drooling......

karen526

This has to be the most beautiful fabric stash ever. I emailed the picture to my friend who will be just as awed.