Carrie

Hi Steve-I'm new to quilting also. I buy what I love at the time and when I get home I wrap it around a 6x24 in. ruler and slip the ruler out and store fabric flat on a book case shelf. I try to sort by design, color, pattern etc. If, I have a pattern in mind, I place it or a copy with the fabric. If I use some of the fabric, I remeasure and tag the fabric with new measurements so I'll know how much is left. My hubby suggested I use a small photo album and slip a paper with pieces of fabric and yardage amounts on it into each sleeve. If I'm "building a quilt" I can carry this with me and match up fabrics. Also place ideas in front of book. Happy Quilting!

Carrie

Depending on what I think I might use it for or how much I like it; I might buy one to three yards. There are a lot of variables. lol

Country Quilter

Annmarie....I've learned the hard way to never purchase less than 3 yards and preferably at least 5 yards if I really love what I am holding.... I bought one yard of a fabric one time and found a quilt pattern it would be just perfect in....only to find I didn't have enuf....went back to the store and it was gone! Couldn't find it anywhere.... So now I try to get at least 3 yards of each fabric but I LOVE fat quarters too! LOL I use my fat quarters and scraps for BOM projects!

Joan

Steve, I am afraid I can identify with your dilema. As a novice, too, I know the feeling that having more quilts in your brain than would ever be possible to finish!!!!

Tt first, reading the message board I kept reading about "stashes" and wondered if I would ever have a stash. What a stupid idea. Like you, I wandered around fabric departments buying fabric for this quilt and that quilt and guess what? I now have a big pile of fabric, too, and lots of ideas. I find, though, that the ideas are not only stimulating to my brain but indeed satisfying even if they all are not going to be accomplished this year (or ever, LOL).

Like you, I am still going to "work" everyday and frankly my time right now for quilting is limited but I am still enjoying it immensely. (I do have two projects going and one in the mix, though) I pour over designs and yes feel the fabric and think about the people that will get one of my quilts (eventually) and it is very pleasing to me! Enjoy the whole experience and don't fret.

lin

That's a really good question annmarie. At first, I just started buying fat quarters. Lots and lots of them!! They are like quilter's candy, and they don't raise my blood sugar. LOL If I saw something on sale and I liked it, I would buy a yard or so. (I always look to see if I can love a sale item first!!) But like CQ, I often found that I didn't have enough to use as the main fabric or background on anything, so I started buying a minimum of 2½ yds if I thought it might make a good border fabric, and 3-4 yards if I really loved it for the main body of a future quilt. I figure that if I don't ever use it that way, I can chop forever on it and use it in lots of quilts. I've done that for years, repeated fabrics in many quilts. Some of my fabric is 10-15 years old and it still comes in handy when I just need a little. Oftentimes my friends will love the fabric and wonder where I found it. They've never seen it because it's so old, but they want some. LOL

If you're wanting backing fabric, usually 6 yards will do ya. You'll need double the length (plus a little) of your quilt if it's wider than the width of the fabric you're buying, and I rarely make quilts over 108" long. If you run a little short, you can always piece a little into your backing to make it long (or wide) enough. That can be fun. :)

Your fabric will never go to waste. I promise. You will use it some day, on some quilt. Even if you look at it one day and say "What was I thinking?" LOL You'd be amazed how many times that odd piece that you couldn't resist at the time will be just the thing you need. :)

annmarie

Thank-you Lin & Patsy. Now I have good rationale for buying more than 1 yd. which is what I have been doing because of the cost. BUT 3 yd. makes so much more sense. I just needed someone to tell me it is OK :lol: :lol: :lol: :wink: :wink: :wink:

lin

Oh well, gee! Always happy to help a fellow quilter rationalize her spending habits!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

PSST....faaaat quarterssss...you neeeeed them. :mrgreen:

vicki reno

As far as how much fabric------If its fro a baby quilt, I'll get say a yard or so and add it to my stash. If its going to maybe go to a grown up or is an exceptionally gorgeous piece like the green that I used in my pansy quit, I will get several yardds--whatever I think the pocketbook can handle at the time. I like flannel for backing on baby quilts and will get a couple of yards whenever I get to the store and nothing else strikes my fancy at the time. I too tend to buy it for a project only to find that I "borrowed" it for something else :lol: I have so many ideas whirling around in my head sometimes its makes me dizzy :!: But take it from the champion worry wart, if you stress out about how much or whether to use it or save it for another project, it quits being fun. Just enjoy it and go with your instincts about color and design. Its not suppose to stress you out, that's called work and we already have to do too much of it :!:

ButtercreamCakeArtist

I got some NASCAR fabric on sale for $3/yard at WM the other day. HUBBY helped pick it out. I was going to go for 3 yards of each (2 prints), but he said "get 5"!!!!!!!!! And he told me to get the big checks for the b&w flag instead of the smaller checks. I was going for the smaller ones bc I thought it might look better on a smaller project, but he insisted I get 5 yards of that, as well as the 2 Dale and Dale Jr prints...AND HE WAS PAYING!
So, Usually I get about 3 yards of each.....

Country Quilter

Miranda...was it your birthday! LOL wow, that was nice of him! Whenever DH is along with his CC I go nuts!!