How? Constantly, Compulsively, Happily... LOL

If I have a specific project, I google based on adjectives that describe the fabric.
When I get emails from companies, I look through their ads/sites, especially the sales portion.

I look for something that just catches my eye immediately. I search online. Once in a while I have a specific quilt in mind and then I check out the Mfg. of the theme I have in mind. I almost have never met a fabric I didn't like, hence, my cup runneth over with fabrics...lol

I like to make controlled scrappy quilts in specific color families. I just finished making a Bonnie Hunter "Pineapple Blossoms" quilt in blues. I love using the color matcher feature at Thousands of Bolts. It was easy to choose a good range of shades of blues. I also like shopping carts with thumbnails, it's like being able to step away from your design wall and see the effect from a distance. Some websites have thumbnail pictures that are too large for doing that.

Since the minimum order there is one yard unless you are lucky enough to find a FQ, I end up with lots of scraps. Now I have enough scraps to make another queen size quilt. I'm going to chop them up for leaders/enders next weekend.

I made a couple of modern quilts this summer for the first time. I found a website, Marmalade Fabrics, that has fabrics just in that genre that will sell single FQs. I like that I don't have to sort through lots of other fabrics, and can easily build a collection of fabrics. I avoid buying fabrics only from one collection, I like to make my own collection!

Now I am usually looking for something specific: search by color, by collection, by designer and manufacturer and by the pattern number on the selvage. Also been known to search for "frog" "fern"--words like that. I have a collection of online shops I like--including FF. The last thing I try is surfing the web.

I use a couple of web sites
- findmyfabric.com
-quiltshops.com
-missingfabric.com

If I know the designer and manufacturer I Google it.
Sometimes I just go to an online shop I like and ask them.

I do all of them depending on the project at the time.

All of the above for me too. Sometimes if I am looking for a specific fabric, for example, yardage to go with a jelly roll or layer cake, I will google the name of the line, the manufacturer, etc. till I can find it. I have found some new wonderful fabric stores this way. It is faster than checking out all my favorite sites.

I'm with a few of the others....e, all of the above.

I usually just browse around.

my favorite site to buy fabric is http://www.thousandsofbolts.com/index.cfm great fabric dependable names such as Robert Kaufman, Henery Glass, Northcutt, the majority of their fabric is under $6.00 a yard