Fabric Buying Dilemma
 

Rising fabric prices are making me insane! I spend hours filling online shopping carts with sale fabric but then that little voice in my head starts pointing out that I have plenty of fabric I've never used and buying more would be wasteful. So, I let it go. Then I stop in at my lqs and am so horrified at $12 to $15 per yard fabric that I can't get back to my laptop fast enough! What's a quilter to do?! Most of my stash is half yard cuts of sale fabric that I love but I haven't done very well with actually using it. I can't imagine making a whole quilt with full price fabric! So, are y'all taking advantage of all the year end sales? Do you buy for stash, or buy for specific quilts? I feel like I need to go into fabric detox!

I am working really hard again this year on de-stashing. Sometimes I buy a little to finish a project but the prices are getting crazy. Seems like online there are always sales and so I figure I will just wait until I NEED it instead otherwise it will just pile up again. Finally getting my sewing space organized a little bit.

I also am trying to use up some of my fabrics. If I live to be 110 I cannot use it all. But I do give in now and then for a special.

I'm also considering buying more fabric. I received a Connecting Threads Gift Certificate and would like to use it for some thread and batik fabrics. I just received a CT Email advertising a year-end clearance sale, but the batiks and threads are still at regular prices, although they do have very reasonable pricing. I don't know if I should wait or go ahead a purchase now. Anyone else buying fabrics?

Yes, I picked up some year end and store closing stuff. But that is because I want to make some scrappy designs and just did not have a wide enough range of fabrics. I have been looking at the Benartex Flora and Fauna because I have two panels and am drooling over them. But the price of the co-ordinating fabric is still $9+ a yard, plus I haven't really sat down and figured out a pattern.

I am lucky that DH works in the US and doesn't mind being my Fabric Mule. I can often get stuff shipped to his hotel for free and that saves a bundle.

SInce I am new to quilting I don't have a large stash. That being said I would like one a little larger then what I have now, but I hate buying things that are on sale just b/c they are on sale with no clear picture as to what I would actually use it for. All I see is dollar signs floating over my small stash of fabrics I have bought and not yet used. I have a cart full of fabrics at CT with some batting, definitely getting the batting but now sure about the fabric.

I stopped buying for a bit as well, but it seemed that when I went to start a project, I never had what I needed. So.....I do purchase, mostly from Connecting Threads lately, however, Gagasmith and I did a road trip awhile back and I did purchase from LQS. I have a fairly nice stash, though I am always on the look-out, I can usually find some fabric that just seems to pop into my cart! I do have a nice selection (hoarde) of Oriental fabric, still waiting for that perfect pattern to appear!

OH you all would be proud of me! I was in Joann's on Christmas Eve, they had all of their fabric on sale for 70% off for a 2 hour sale.. I didn't buy a yard, not a single yard. When I got home, my husband actually asked me if I was sick! LOL

Actually if you take into account inflation, prices are just about where they should be. They've just barely doubled in the last 10 to 12 years.

I do buy full price fabric sometimes. If I am buying full price fabric it's something that won't be there even just a few months down the road. Usually the focus fabric and one or two distinct supporting fabrics from a line are the ones that go fast and if I really have to have it I'll pay full price for. I can fill the rest in with blenders later.

But I have a lot of fabric already so it seriously has to be a jaw-dropping, stop me in my tracks fabric, anymore before I'll go ahead and pay full price for the focal and supporting fabrics.

When you can pull enough fat quarters in only three colors for a queen size quilt and just "loosen up the drawer" you know you have plenty.

The LQS I love has their year-end sale this Sat. I will go and I have some specific fabrics in mind that I will purchase. I do not purchase fabric anymore just to 'add' to my stash. I only buy what I need for a specific project. And, I have never bought on-line.

I have a large stash but also never seem to have what I need. I am actually buying a lot less since retirement and want to do a scrappy next. I think there is a satisfaction with online shopping car filling, getting package in the mail but then storing it...UGH. I also need fabricaholics...lol. At least we all share the same problem. My resolution is to use what I have this year.

If you find sales, buy blenders and tone-on-tone in colors you know you will use. Buy these in larger pieces and do not cut them selvage to selvage when you are not going to use them up -- cut length wise, that way you can do borders if needed in whole pieces.

Only buy for a specific need.

On December 26th, 3 of my quilting buddies and myself went to a quilt shop in the area (JanniLou's) in Philomath for their 40% off sale. I bought 23.5 yards of fabric. Enough for 3 projects with leftovers!!!!!!!!!! So much for cutting down in 2011!!

Pretty much that's true for me too, although I succumb to some fabrics just cuz they're pretty!

The older quilters in my area are, apparently, going on to quilting heaven... because many of the estate sales down here are specifically saying "quilter's dream." Some of them are. I dropped $100 at an estate sale earlier this year and wound up with 240 yards of fabric. (And there's another good looking estate sale this weekend!). So my stash is full... what I can't use in a quilt I can use for a muslin when making costumes. It all works out. (I hope). Other than purchases like that, I don't buy except for specific projects.

My favorite LQS is having a year end sale Fri Sat & Sun where EVERYTHING in the store is 35% off. I got some Christmas cash so I will be going to get some staples, mainly white on whites and some black on blacks and some cream fabrics. And yes, I have plenty of fabrics in my overwhelming stash but I never seem to have the basics when I go to make a quilt.

Thinking about heading to Keepsake Quilting's annual New Year's Day sale (20% off everything) on Sunday...so very tempting.

I usually only buy for the worked on project because I still have a ton of fabrics from making AG doll clothes. But that dosen't stop me from looking lol.

When I see a good sale, I have been stocking up on backing fabric, that seems to be what hurts the most when I'm shopping for a specific project.

I have collected quite a bit of fabric and discovered when trying to do projects out of stash only, that I grossly lack blendables. So... I have solved my dilemma by hauling several of my fabrics to the fabric store, and buying blenders using coupons sales, etc. I find by doing that, I can stretch my stash further and don't have to buy too much. It works for me. Good luck!

I, too, am trying to be more judicious in what I purchase as there is already PLENTY of fabric on my shelf! But....sometimes I rationalize and tell myself that if I keep buying things I like sooner or later some of it will go together and I'll be able to make things totally from my stash. That's after the UFOs are finished of course! :cool:

I'm trying to use what I have and only buy fabrics that will go with a lot of things-like neutrals or something that has a lot of different colors so I can make what I have in my stash work.

I've stopped buying fabric just because it's a good price, now if it's a good price it has to have a couple different colors/designs and be enough to make something. I was really bad about just picking up a yard because the price was too good to pass up but now I've had it in my stash for years and nothing goes with it.

I just received, a few moments ago, my package from Connecting Threads! I ordered two of their thread sets that are 40% off. I got the black/white/grey set and the neutrals/browns/tans. 15 spools of thread for $22.41! I like their thread. I didn't purchase any of their fabric at this time, just because it was on sale. I am trying to only buy fabric when I have a certain project. My coworker has had items in her Connecting Threads basket for about a week now and has changed it severval times because the fabric keeps selling out before she purchases it, so somebody is buying sale fabrics! I try to do my spur of the moment spending at quilt show/sales. We have a "one stop shop" event the end of January, so I'll save until then.

I buy online and the sales this time of the year are hard to believe. When I can buy quality fabric for $4 a yard, I go for it. It usually works out that the "focus fabric" has been purchased online and then buy some of the needed blenders, etc. locally. I live miles away from anywhere and I NEED my stash......

I buy most of my fabric online. The LQS are just getting too expensive.

I buy backings for projects when I find a good clearance price.

I've enjoyed reading all your replies, and thanks for making them. QuiltnLady suggested concentrating on blenders & tone on tones. I agree that is wise. If only I could be wise & not succumb to the call of the bright & colorful! But I'll try. Thanks also to Mad Mimm. I hadn't considered hauling a bunch of my fabrics into the lqs for matching with blenders, etc. Good thought, as long as those fabrics aren't full price! I think I need to spend some time assessing what I have and trying to come up with a plan. More fun to shop!

I am trying to finish UFO's and use from stash next year. I hope I win instead of the voices in my head that say better buy it you won't get another chance.

I have learned to buy for specific quilts. There are fabrics that "talk" to me and I buy. But, for the most part, it for me is best to do it that way.

Yes I sure did take advantage of the year end clearance to fill in the fabric I needed to make three quilts and to buy batting at connecting threads. I love Hobbs and that is the only place I can find it anymore reasonably.

I am going to use my stash for awhile to try and make more room in my sewing room. I found several bags with patterns and fabric ready to start. So no new fabric for me for awhile.

I thought I had a great stash until I realized it was mainly focus fabrics, and nowhere near enough blenders. That comes from only buying fabric that I absolutely love, and feeling justified in buying it because I absolutely love it. So when I went through my stash a while ago, I made a list of the colors of blenders I would need, and started shopping those. I would literally write down: light teal print/dots to go with Parrot fabric ---- something like that. Then when I shopped those sales on line, I had a specific list to work from. If I wasn't sure the fabric would work, I could always just pull out the "Parrot fabric" and make a judgement. That helped to eliminate a lot, and give me confidence about the ones I did buy. I'm still working on it, but I've increased my stash of blender fabrics considerably. I now realize the blenders are just as important as the focus fabrics -- the ones that stop me in my tracks -- because without the blenders on hand, I'm at the quilt shop at the last minute paying full price for fabrics I could have gotten for $4.00 a yard on those specials I like to hunt down.

I try to build my stash at garage sales, thrift stores such as Goodwill, and auctions. I only buy at the fabric at the fabric store if I want it for a specific quilt. Still, I spend about $100 or more a month on threads, fabric or gadgets while I'm there on retreat or making a trip there between retreats.

A few weeks ago I was in my favorite LQS and happened to drop in on their buyer. She was complaining because she hated raising prices on items but THEIR prices were skyrocketing too! It's not the fabric stores but rather the manufactures, the distributors, the price of raw goods, etc. making the prices go up. The fabric stores are just desperately trying not to go under. It's their misfortune that they're the ones we see so they have to take the heat from all of us.

A couple of years ago I purchased 3 yards of fabric (very pretty stripe in red, yellow, gold, looking very Christmasy) just because I liked the colors and the design and it was 1/2 price. Still haven't used it, don't know what I would use it for. So, usually, no, I don't buy unless I know what I am using it for. But I usually buy extra to build a stash, and often shop my stash to finish a project.
eta: that's the only time I've bought just for the fabric, not a project, and since I haven't used it, probably won't buy that way again.

I'm at the point where I don't need a stash. I'm trying to reduce it so someone else doesn't have to dispose of it. It's amazing what can make with what they have. I also love scrappy quilts.

So.....I do purchase, mostly from Connecting Threads

I get alot from Connecting Threads, also. They are having a very nice clearance sale right now! $ 2.48 & up. Batiks under $6.00. Shipping is fast.

I buy fabric on sale and when I absolutely have to have it.

Great idea, MacThayer! I'm gonna make a list!

You are using the higher cost of fabric as an excuse to buy tons of fabric that you aren't using anyway (been there done that). How does that make sense? Especially if you have ANY $$ on credit cards costing interest! On the plus side, if you have no credit card debt, then it makes sense to buy backings - lots of yardage and many of us don't need a really specific fabric for the back.

My suggestion is to stop buying the sale fabric. Start working on projects from the fabric you already have and buy locally for filler fabric. It will cost you LESS because you will only be spending money on a project you are working on now. It's hard, but I think in the long run you will be happier with stash that is regularly used. Remind yourself that if you died tomorrow, your heirs will sell your remaining fabric for 50 cents a yard. That's the average price I've paid for gorgeous fabric at estate sales.

I was bad this year (an Asian collection that went from zero to 40 yards). It's ok though. I have now learned to occasionally give myself a break.