"She who dies with the most fabric, WINS". Well I'm not dead yet but, "I WIN!" I rarely buy anything less then 3 yards. I buy at least 7 yards if I think I want to use it for a backing and if I really like it I buy the whole bolt no matter the price. I almost never have a project in mind when I fabric shop. I just see something I like and then I pull something together from there to make a project or I just buy a particular fabric because I just have to have it. I now have more fabric in my stash then a couple of my LQS, lol They love to see me coming through the door!

5 yrs ago I started out buying fat quarters.....

Then... I went to 1/2 yards.................................

Then... I went to a yard.............................................. .....

Thennnnnnnnnnnnn.............. I went to 3 yrds........................

Now...if I really reallllllllllllly love it and it's kind of a timeless fabric... I eyeball the WHOLE BOLT....LOL
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As a rule.. I buy at least 2 yds.
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If it's on sale I buy the whole bolt some. For that matter if it's something I really like even if not on sale I'll buy the whole bolt.

For the most part when I buy I never buy less than two yards but mostly about five yards. I use the fabric to make lap quilts for displaced children.

My impulse buys are usually for kaleidoscope type quilts then I buy repeats of 4, 5(fans), 6, or 8. Whatever I feel will be the one I'll make. I have almost all of Bethany Reynolds books. If I find blenders on sale I"ll get them in yardage-tone on tones or marbled in the colors I frequently use. Although for right now I'm trying not to buy I'm running out of room in my sewing room.

I like kits! There are several stores in our area that put together wonderful kits and I find I save money this way and don't have too many scraps left over. And ~ I have such a difficult time with color and tone, that this makes it easy for me. If I want to make it larger than the kit, I ask the store to help me decide how much more I need. At one time I would buy two or three yards of something I fell in love with, but ended up with a lot of fabric that never got used. Now I know I have exactly what I need for a project. With that said....I still can't resist a jelly roll of beautiful colors or a lovely fat quarter. Thank goodness there are so many wonderful books to help me use these up:D

When I started sewing I bought from JoAnn's & Hancocks. When I became a quilter I incorporated several of these fabrics with LQS fabric. My first quilt has definite fade spots that are the J & H fabrics. Now I'm a quilt shop snob, but I buy smart. I use several online stores and since I am a scrappy girl I buy one yard. 3 for borders and I buy a lot of the wide backs. I have an awesome collection of neutrals and since I am making pillowcases now I buy in 2 and 3 yd lots. I'm also a Bonnie Hunter follower and her scrap system is the berries - love it. I also have a LQS that does an amazing online business. They have piles of scraps and unbought cuts that they bring in - used to be $2.95 a yard now $3.95 - at $2.95 I bought two hundred yds, it was great - at $3.95 I don't buy as much - I can get yards for that at several online shops. I buy 1-2 yds of lots of different fabrics, use Moda Bella for solids and I can sew from my stash for a long time.

I rarely buy unless I have a project in mind. But when I do buy just because I really really like the fabric I normally buy a couple of yards depending on how much I like it and the price. Sometimes I can imagine what I might use it for and that will help me decide. I don't over buy fabric mainly because I can't afford too and I don't have the room. I don't every buy by the bolt and alot of quilters would say what I call my stash isn't really a stash but at least I mostly know what I have on hand.

As much as I can afford usually more. lol

If I am making a quilt with only two colors I usually buy 6 yards of each color this will let you cut most of the patterns Iuse for this type quilt usually in the queen size. I usually buy at least 3 yards if I am thinking borders and binding and if I just like the fabric but don't have a project in mind for it.

I have imposed a mandatory "fabric diet" on myself. Doing pretty good with it but when I was buying fabric because I loved it, I would usually get 3 yards.