Originally Posted by
meganc731
I'm a new quilter and most of my small stash consists of fabrics that my friend gave to me, and I'm using my favorites from that in the mystery quilt!!
I was at the fabric store today and I saw so many fabrics that I'd love to hang on to for a future project but I have no idea what is a good amount to buy when I don't have a project in mind. Now don't be jealous, but I need to build my stash!!
Would love to hear some ideas one how much fabric I should buy and should I buy anything I like or try to buy fabrics that I think look nice together. Also does print size or design (say geometric for example) make any difference in how much I would want to buy?
THANKS!!
I think if you're starting out, building a stash is important. You don't yet know in what direction you'll be going with your quilting. A stash is inspiring, and having one on hand will allow you to develop your understanding of color. If you don't have lots of fabric to choose from, you can't experiment and learn. Once you have been quilting for awhile, and start to learn what sort of quilting you want to do, you can then modify your fabric buying to suit your preferences in quilting.
I would say, buy anything you like when stash building, rather than trying to pick fabrics that go well together. Once you've settled on a project, then you can shop for fabrics that work well together for that project. As to how much to buy -- well, how much money do you have?
If your budget allows, I would suggest buying 1/2 yd or more of fabrics you like. If your budget is tighter, build your stash of fat quarters. If you love, love, love something, buy one to three yards. Happy hunting!