Since you aren't buying for a specific project, I would buy the wide backings in neutrals....or yardage of solids that you use frequently (like black, white)....or 2 yard cuts of blenders....if you think about patterns, most of them will take more than 1/2 yard of one color....I wouldn't buy prints unless you have a particular pattern for it....prints go out of season, lose popularity or may be hard to match.....If you can buy everything in one particular line, then I would buy 1 yard of each.....what I wouldn't give to be in your predicament! LOL