I built mine over time. I buy two or three yards of fabrics I like. Buying less never seems to be enough for the bed-sized quilts I want to make. Just don't forget background fabrics. My stash os full of beautiful themed prints, but short on fabrics to blend with them. The blenders tend to be less expensive, and you can often find them in remnant bins or on sale. They're less flashy, but oh so important to have a usable stash.