Where I shop they cut their own FQs from ends of bolts. They sell them all for $.99 each. It is great because if you just need a small amount to finish your project, you can sometimes find it on the FQs wall.

Fat Quarters aren't more expensive at Connecting Threads. No extra cost on cuts...(they should be paying me, I should have shares in their company lol)

I always buy yardage, I have never bought FQ. I think you get more for your money and always have yardage leftover for another quilt as well as adding fabric to your stash.
I usually buy 1/2 yard pieces.

Yardage every time the prices on FQs is [at least ]2 1/2 times why pay $12.50 for $5 's worth of fabric

The Jo-Ann Fabrics by me sells them for $1.99 each. I buy them if I only need a small amount of that color, or if they are on sale. Mostly I plan ahead what quilts I need to make and then buy the fabric I need by the yard or more. I only buy my fabric when it is on sale, or if I can get a discount for buying 10 or more yards. Then I stock up.

:roll: I am just over-whelmed about your quilt and the number of pieces it took-questions: how long did it take you to make it and would you please post a picture of it.

Fat Quarters are a bit more expensive, however, as a beginning quilter there are a couple of things you might want to consider:
By all means, buy yardage and save your leftover strips and pieces to build your stash AND Buy Fat Quarters to add immediate variety to your stash.
While the fat quarters are more expensive, you can always find super deals on Ebay. Don't forget thrift stores as a source of stash builders (men's shirts, dresses, etc.) Cut the seams away when you get home and call it new fabric:>)
Welcome and Good luck

if you want a small piece better to buy 1/3 yds only a few pennies more than a fat Q and you get 45 inches instead of 22 like a fat.

Buy nuetrals biege, white, gray and so on in 3 yd pieces always need a background

buy fabrics that coordinate not necessarily from the same line
have florals, muted and fabrics w/ movement in your stash

In my earlier stash building days, I bought fat quarters and added my leftover fabric to the fat quarter container. Now, they just sit there laughing at me. I didn't realize there would be so many scraps from making quilts that I wouldn't need them. One of these days I'm going to make a large squares quilt and use some of them up.

My local LQS charges a ton for a FQ - so I don't typically buy them. I like yardage, it provides fudge room in case of a miscut or something.