Jan in VA

Well, I can honestly say I am NOT a fabric bigamist (or polygamist as the case may be), but I have been "friended" by more fabrics than I have room on my "page" for!

When I began quilting 30-some years ago, I chose to 3/4 - 1 yard cuts of lots of fabrics that would work together. I never buy "theme" prints and I rarely buy very large prints. That's not to say I don't/won't use them; they are just not my usual fabric purchase or preference.

A large percentage of what I buy is blenders/reads-as-solids/tone-on-tone/low-contrast small prints. I prefer prints with "movement" in the design.

This allows me to pull from my stash almost exclusively for "go-withs" if I find a fabric I want to get engaged to.....(though I have found over the years that most of these relationships do not last long )

My stash now has hundreds of fabrics in small amounts less than 1 yard. I make quilt after quilt from just my stash, not all scrappy either. If I don't have enough of a particular fabric, I consider that a design opportunity -- why use just one red fabric in a quilt when 7 different ones will make it even 'richer'?! I enjoy 2 color quilts, say blue and white, but I'll make it with 16 blues and 10 whites, and feel the "look" is more appealing and rich.

Every once in a while I find that I've been pulling a lot from one color stack of fabrics and I'm getting low on reds, for example. I go out looking for sales on red fabrics and buy what they will let me....one yard if I have to, less if I can. In the past 3-4 years we have had a lack of good, pretty yellows on the market; that's a color family I will need to buy for soon for my collection.

Jan in VA

AFQSinc

I try very hard not to buy for stash. I don't have alot of space (though I probably have more space than money) and my tastes/interest are varied. That being said the smallest amount that I will buy for stash is usually 1 yard. If I know that I would use it as a border piece than 3 yards and if I know it will go with a variety of styles and colors then I might take 3+. It just depends on what I *think* I might use it for. I don't purchase too many fat quarters anymore.

new2q

I too try not to buy stash either.....When I decided I wanted to make quilts, I went through my "OMG....I need a stash". So, I went on a buying spree of fat quarters thinking that would build it quicker, then went on buying 2 or 3 yards of fabric if I liked it. Then when comes time to work on a project, I still have to buy fabric or now when I look at my stash, I see a lot of fabric that I don't know why I bought it. I'm sure I got a good deal on it or loved it at the time, but now it just takes up space! I have a small bedroom devoted to sewing and I have at least 6 totes and an armoire I bought at a garage sale full of fabric. I still have to go buy something when I start working on a project.

alisonquilts

I base my fabric buying on two principles: do I have a particular pattern in mind? eg stack and whack quilts take many repeats of fabric so it is no good buying one yard of a fabric if that's what you might like it for; and how annoyed am I going to be if I come to use this extremely unusual fabric and find that I need 1/2 yard more, but it is no longer available?

I learned my basic quilting skills from a dear friend, and I cannot tell you how many times I watched her drive all over town trying to find another 1/2 yard of something because she had only bought 1/2 yard to begin with. Now, whenever I am confronted with a fabric I like but have no immediate use for, I think of her and buy an extra yard!!

Alison

mucky

Just keep buying for projects and your stash will build. I used to buy for my stash and now have far too much and most of it will never be used. Plus fabric does go out of date and style. There will always be sales and the money I have wasted in unused fabric would easily pay for price increases.

sewplease

I agree with Mucky. I've become more and more scrappy through the years and find that my left overs are perfect for what I like to do now. Also, instead of buying FQs, I usually buy 1/3 yard pieces and often cut these into strips per Bonnie Hunter's scrap users system. I get a little more fabric for about the same price as a FQ. Finally, my newest "rule" is to never buy a piece of fabric that I don't like! Too many times in the past I bought something that was OK or would work simply because it was a good deal. Years later they still sit in my stash. So even tho something may not be my favorite color, I have to like the print before I bring it home. :-) Laura

Shelbie

The biggest mistake that I made buying fabric was buying far too many focus fabrics and not nearly enough blenders, tone on tones and lights. These are the only fabrics that I buy now and I don't know when I'll ever get some of my deep, intense prints used. Remember that new designs and colourways are always coming out and it is good to be able to say that you "need" some fabric and purchase one of the new collections. If your stash is extensive, more buying doesn't make much sense.

stillclock

i am in the process of using up the bin. like someone else said, my tastes have changed, the kinds of quilts i want to make have changed and the colours we are attenuated to seeing have changed.

i will enjoy these last two or three quilts from the bin, but i think moving forward i won't be too concerned about building a stash. there are always going to be fabrics i love, but i have learned that my time is limited and eventually what i will be left with are pieces of fabric i'm just not really likely to use.

i understand why designers what you to have colours on hand to play with, but i seldom have the time to just wander into my sewing room and "make something."

there is great advice here. that's my 2 cents.

aileen

QuiltingCrazie

When I started due to budget I bought fat quarters so i had a variety or 1/2 yard cuts. I wish I had an unlimited budget!! Now I buy in 2 yard increments because I have been stuck on two quilts recently where I just don't have enough fabric and can't find the missing fabric. Fabric lines are like fashion lines, they make it, you buy it and it's gone! I don't usually buy one fabric I usually buy a line enough to make a lap size quilt. Stash building I wish I would have bought more fabric that reads solid. I love tone on tone, marbled fabrics. If you buy colors when you see them you wont regret it blues, greens, reds, whites, tans, blacks, pinks. You will find a use for them as backgrounds, sashing, backings I buy 2 yard cuts but again I have a fabric budget. Hope that helps!!

Bearpawquilter

I found a blog called "In Color Order". In her header she has a section Titled "The Art of Choosing". It has very excellent information on color, folding, stash building, color schemes, etc. Lots of very useful information. I have been quilting for about 10 years and still learned a lot from this. Take a look at the quilting blogs. Lots of good stuff out there.