Me too, I buy the Kona from Joanns with a coupon. It’s getting harder to catch them not on sale though, which you have to do to be able to use the coupon.

About twice a year Nancy's Notions has a batik sale and I will often buy the bolt because the price is right.

Yes, white on white at JoAnn's with a 60% coupon, I think - anyway or was on super clearance

Interesting question Hilsmom...I would have never thought of buying a bolt but from the many responses I can see it would be a great idea for background fabric. Now I’m curious...about how many yards are on a bolt?

In the past I have bought bolts at yard sales -- $3.00 to $5.00 a bolt! Sometimes people don't know the value of stuff. I don't haggle, of course, I just get it quickly and run! :)

I know what I like and frequently use for background, so yes, I do buy the highest quality bleached muslin by the bolt I can get, often 108 inch. I get it from JoAnn's and wait until I have a 60% coupon. It lasts a long time and all of the scraps "match" for when I need sashing or smaller pieces for individual blocks. It is also so nice to just reach into my stash and have my background or or backing on hand and not have to go to shopping. It also prevents me from impulse shopping for other fabric....:D.

I do the same and find that I actually like the muslin better than the Kona or Bella. The muslin does not shred. I'm finding a lot of "quality" quilt shop fabrics shred like crazy...not what I want at all.

20 yards on those rectangular quilting fabric bolts, 40 yards on the roll (the longer, 108" fabrics like curtain fabric), usually

That's if you can get a full bolt. I rarely see a full, uncut bolt at JoAnns, but I do buy whatever is left on the bolt. Lots of charcoal-on-black for backgrounds, and Country Classic solids for backing and dyeing.

I bought 100 yards of "neutrals" on eBay for 2.45 per yard, but I may not be remembering that correctly. It could have been 3.45 per yard and I did pay shipping. I got 20 different fabrics of 5 yards each. I got it about a year ago and I am surprised at how much I have used of that. Seems every project has a neutral in it. The seller was "franks11".