Unless you are going to do some specialty shaped cutting, you can manage just about all of your cutting with the 24" ruler provided it has the angle lines on it (and most do as far as I know). Someone at your LQS can show/eplain to you how to do this much easier/better than I could do here! I also agree with not purchasing fabric just to have a stash. I buy per project. I buy a bit extra of the various fabrics and that becomes what little stash I have and/or gives me room for booboos. I just don't have room to have anything more than that. Plus, I just can't wrap my head around coming up with a pattern AFTER I buy fabric. My design 'wall' are 2 flannel backed tablecloths sewn together. I bought them at the cheapie store for about $5 each. Fold them up and put them away when not in use and just use hangers as acesgame linked for you. Buy your supplies as you need them and you don't need lots of room/storage.