When I see a fabric I really like I have learned to buy 3 yards. I used to buy 2, but there were too many times that it was not enough. I have leftovers from eight years of quilting, fat quarters that I just had to have, or else just liked them, and cuts in 1 and 2 yards. I keep mine on shelving in one-half of a bedroom closet. Just a few months ago I went through my stash and actually gave about 1/3 of it to Goodwill. I cut back on buying this year, and actually plan to do the same next year, with the goal of finally using up most of my stash. Scrappy quilts are my favorite anyway, so I'm doing fine so far with being able to use what I have without buying more.