I don't know what a PM is I am new to this board. Let me know.

It's a personal message. I'll see if I can send you one. On this screen that I'm on right now "private messages
is shown as an option.

Good luck to me.

Sara

I just sent you a PM--Sara

Hi, I'm from Charlotte, N.C. , I too am new at quilting. I was luck to have a friend in , while I was visiting them.PA. know of a place going out of business and I got lots & lots of fabric. But as I picked out I was making a quilt in my mind so I match the colors & prints. So I think I have 3 or four different quilts to make. And of course extra fabric. Just keep going I've just done a fw lap quilts to get the feel. Now I'm doing black,white and a touch of burgandy queen with a valance to match. I've got to tell you ,I've done alot of ripping out from my mistakes. But please when it finially is right.
What part of Charlotte do you live?? I'm the university area. Ajsgram Janice E.

If the quilt is going someplace specific, like a bed room to coordinate with decor, I may buy it all at once. Usually, I either make the "insides" and see what border it wants, or start with the border fabric and coordinate inward. Again, unless I want it all 'matchy-matchy', I leave the backing go until I'm finished. I've started doing a lot of pieced backings, becasue they are so much more interesting, and I may have fabric leftover that can be used on the back.

Hi, Janice--actually Stanley just outside Gastonia. We'll be in Stanley during Nov & Dec. We're full time RVers doing missionary work during the year. Park at our daughter's house outside Stanley at that time. Would love to get together with you during that time. Send me a PM and maybe we can begin by exchanging phone numbers.

Sara

I have never bought all the fabric at the same time. I find a piece I love and buy a good amount. Then decide on what type of pattern it would look good in, then the fun part starts. Trips to the quilt stores. We have several really good quilt stores in our area and it is so much fun to take the day and drive from one to the other looking for fabric to complete the project. I always hope that the first store doesn't have all the fabric I need so I have an excuse to drive to the other ones.
This past weekend, my husband was showing off his steam locomotive in Prineville and I went to a lovely quilt store. The lady who owns it was so nice and she had wonderful fabric. I left with way too much fabric, but I had a great time.

When I start a quilt I pull from my stash for as much fabric as possible, then will take swatches of what I have to the LQS to add any still needed fabrics. Buy all for the front and binding, when I start, then add backing when I am ready to quilt it. Makes for some interesting backs as sometimes I just piece fabrics from the stash that are in the same color family as the front.

It depends on the size of the quilt and the size of my budget at the time of purchase. If the quilt is very large and pocket book small, I will purchase backing at a later time. I ususally use the back fabric as the binding fabric as well.

I try to buy all the fabric for the top at one time. but I usually make scrap quilts and then may need to buy border fabric, then I can tell what the quilt top needs. The backing is bought last because I really don't know the finished size of the quilt top.