No matter what size fabrics I have in my stash I seem to need more. How much of a fabric should I buy . I see sewing rooms with what looks like big bolts of fabrics I can't afford to buy that much of any 1 fabric unless the pattern is already selected.

I agree with you....mostly. My favorite part of quilting is the designing, picking out the colors, fabrics, choosing a pattern, then tweaking it. I am also very cost conscious (cheap)! A year or so ago, I kept noticing a line of fabrics that caught my eye. It was unusual because it was in colors that are NOT what I typically like. I kept myself from buying any of it, over and over again, but I kept looking at it and thinking about it. Then, I saw a pattern that I instantly knew was perfect for these fabrics, and it needed lots of different fabrics for it to work. I found 2 layer cakes on sale so I went ahead and bought them. I did take out a couple of the fabrics and had a few others from my stash that I replaced them with. Because the packs were in colors I don't usually buy, I didn't have much in my stash to work with and I would have had to find 40 (or so) fabrics, have all those cut as small as the store would cut, and still have a lot left over. I am working on that quilt now, and am loving it. I also found a different designers honeybun on sale and can't wait to do some log cabin blocks with that. Since they are 1 1/2 inches they will make perfect 1 inch logs. One honeybun won't make enough blocks for a quilt, but that is where I get to have fun making it "mine". I bought yardage in the line that I will make the rest of the quilt with.

Best of both!!

When you figure it out, charms, strips, fat quarters, etc. almost double the cost of fabric, which in my mind is really ridiculous. I would rather select my own fabrics and do the cutting myself, which is really part of the process of learning/doing quilting. However, it can be a big help if you need a project done on short notice so I'm not totally against it. :)

I'm addicted to pre-cuts......ALL kinds. I don't have time to do all of that cutting OR matching fabrics. It's so easy and I'm so lazy. I try to buy them on sale. Or not. I just like the idea of "grab and sew".

I don't like precut fabric, bundles, jelly rolls, etc. there is always fabric in it I don't like

Once you see Hoffman Bali Jelly Roll coordinated colors, you'll be hooked! I am, 80

Yup, one look and......
I have some high school students doing community service and I will have them making string quilts and log cabin blocks using many leftovers from the Bali Pops! They aren't allowed to use rotory cutters so this is great for them.

I have only bought them when they have been clearance priced!!!

I must be an odd ball as I love fat quarters, jelly rolls, charms and all those sugary (jelly rolls, turnovers, turnovers, honey buns, etc. :-P ) precuts. I was online at the FatQuarter Shop yesterday and found something new that I'd never seen before. Candy Bars (I think they were by Moda). They are 2 1/2" x 5".

JuneD,

You are not an odd ball. Simple fact of the matter, each person has her/his own preference when it comes to purchasing fabric. It does cost more to purchase special cuts of fabric over purchasing off the bolt. Some people don't like paying the premium price for the special cuts. Other people prefer to have larger pieces of fabric. Others, however, do like having the special cuts. As popular as fat quarters are, they often cost more when figured on a per yard basis compared to purchasing off the bolt. There is nothing wrong about loving the special cuts of fabric and there is nothing wrong about being too cheap to spend the extra money to get the special cuts. There is also nothing wrong with wanting to have larger pieces of fabric. Each of us is stating her/his preference when it comes to the specialty cuts of fabrics. You love them. You are not an odd ball, you are just an individual who likes them when the majority of the people responding to the post either are thrifty, cheakskates, penny pinchers or on a budget, or we just plain like bigger pieces of fabric. (Personally, I am a memeber of both the cheapskates and the likes a bigger piece of fabric clubs.)