About buying cheap fabric: I have a hard time finding fabric on sale that I don't have to buy 1 yard or more. But the Heirloom quilting company in NJ is the only on line store that I have found that sells sale/clearance fabric in 1/4 yard increments. They specialize in civil war reproductions and some of their neutrals are known as "shirtings".
http://www.heirloomquiltingcompany.com/shoppe.htm
If you know of another on line store that does this, please PM me, because I love high quality fat quarters, cheap!
As for the neutral discussion, send me anything. I am not fussy or judgmental. I never met an ugly fabric I didn't like or couldn't use. Jane Q