How much fabric?
 

When you all are just shopping for nothing in particular..just looking..and you see a fabric you love how much of it do you buy? That is if you don't have a pattern in mind to use it on.

I used to buy one yard. That was three years ago when I first started. Then I jumped to two yards, and it always turned out that I wanted a border out of the fabric too. So I just jumped to doubling that again, buying four yards. However, I think three yards might be what I get from now on.

Not much help, huh? :) Sorry...

Dina

Dina, Yes it helps a lot. I have been buying 1 yrd and was just wondering what everyone on the board bought. I think I'm going to start getting more.

it really depends on the fabric- what i love about it- if i can envision a dozen different quilts with that fabric- i might buy 3-5 yards - if it would make great borders- again i will buy about 3 yards....if i love it but really don't *see* a lot of uses i might buy 1/2- 1 yard...if i love it but really don't know that i will ever come up with something to use it in i pick up a fat quarter....it's all in the potentials you see when you look at the fabric :)

Generally, 2 to 2.5 yards. Sometimes I'll buy more if the price is right and/or I think it'll make a good backing on a quilt in progress.

Depended on the price -

I agree it depends on the price AND how much money is in my wallet at the time. If BOTH are right I'll generally buy 3 yards for general use. If it's a big print and I think it'll make a great back, I'll buy 5 yards.

Nan

If it's a fabric that I absolutely love, then it's 3 yards cause I may have more than one use for it. Been buying a lot of 1 yards and that doesn't seem to be working out. So now it's 2.5 to 3.

I buy 3 yards ... just in case.

I think it depends on the number of colors or different fabrics you like to use in a quilt. For me, as I like lots of different colors/fabrics one yard is more than enough of any one fabric. It depends too on how you like to do your borders... I like to do a lot of piecing with lots of colors/fabric for borders .. so it really depends on your style and size . If you are a quilter that likes a wide border of one fabric for a bed size quilt ... then I would suggest no less than 3 yards, 5 yards if you want to include the border fabric in the main body of the quilt.

I buy fat quarters. I get a bigger variety that way, it's more useful. It's $18.99/metre here so I save buying border and backing fabric until I have a top pieced and then I can pick the perfect fabric for my border and not waste money.

Bearisgray. I agree . If I like the fabric but it is expensive only 1yard or metre this will be main . If cheaper or on sale 2-4 yards or metres.
When desperate I would go to abakhan where it is sold by weight so varies amounts as they are off cuts but some very good 5yard metre lengths for under £10.

I usually buy 1-3 yards depends on price, if I have a project in mind and if my husband is waiting on me. If he is waiting on me, I tend to buy less items/fabrics.

I agree with this.
Also, depends upon your style. I do art quilts, so usually get 1/2 yd. For art the quilts usually aren't large and I want a lot of variety to work with. So I'd rather have 6 1/2yd cuts rather than 1 3yr cut. Some things are hard to find (like very lights) so I might buy 1 yd.