Peggy - I had to chuckle at your response. You even have a furry friend (in avatar) with polka dots!

Thje first thing I do is walk the store to see what they have. Many stores follow a theme. Tone on tones are always good to have around--a good yard. Also, look for their marked-down section. I have had great luck in those sections to add to my stash as it is less expensive and many times they have end of bolt fabrics they just want to move out and they are still popular patterns. Have a great time!

When I first started quilting, I really had no clear idea of what I was doing so I went on a spree in Lancaster and bought at least 2 yards each of fabric that I thought was lovely. Problem is that I still have it 5 years later and cannot find a good use for it. My advice is to purchase not only darks as I did, but get good background fabrics that would coordinate with whatever you purchase. The fabric may be lovely by itself, but if you cant coordinate it, then it creates a problem like I now have. Someday I will figure it out, but now it sits there taunting me. Good luck in Lancaster! Lititz has some good stores too so check them out.

If I were offered a trip to such a fantastic place, I'd decide ahead of time what I'd be looking for (batiks, for instance, or maybe a specific color). When I got there, I'd buy as much as I could afford of whatever called to me the loudest. A minimum of three yards. Of course, if after I got there, what called out to me loudly was not anything that I had planned to look for, I'd buy that instead and then buy around that if I found more. It's sort of like looking for a cat....you go to the shelter thinking you'll get a black female kitten, but the adult yellow male calls out so loudly to your heart, that you take him home.

I have basics that I keep available (Kona Cotton Black, white on whites, creams) that can be used with anything. I get a variety of those if they are on sale. After that I look for things that jump up and down on the shelf and call my name. A lot of fabrics know my name, especially batiks. Sometimes an idea for a quilt will pop into my head while I'm shopping. I like scrappy quilts so 1-2 yards of a fabric is usually enough, unless it will be used for a border or sashing.

I am making a Red Diamond quilt in November. It takes 1/3 yd of 21 different fabrics, usually flowers. I am using Batik's and traveling to Oregon, buying my fabrics along the way. So far I'm very pleased and only have 4 to go.

It's good to have a stash with different colors, but I like to buy background materials and keep on hand and batting when it's on sale. All this takes up space, so shop accordingly.

It seems we all buy what catches our eye, but then it sets in a cabinet or plastic tote. I now only buy for a certain pattern, because if I buy what catches my eye I never have enough when a pattern catches my eye.

Since you have more time maybe you can find a pattern or two you just love and you can find fabric for it when you get to take your trip.

Angie

This is probably to late since you should have gone to Lancaster yesterday. When I lived in Philly I used to go to Lancaster Co. and just bought up all kinds of beautiful fabric and figured out later what to do with it. Sure wish I could have gone with you....I miss those trips.

If I find a beautiful print, I will buy 2-3 yards of it, but I will also buy at least 3 fabrics that coordinate with it in one yard cuts. I also buy 1/2 yards and yards of tone-on-tone and tonal fabrics because they are always nice to have. I personally don't find precuts (fat quarter, jelly rolls, etc.) all that useful, I'd rather just cut what I need.

Jerudy,
I have a few (quite a few) quilt magazines. If you want, I will send them to you and you can find some patterns that you like. Take the pattern with you and buy the material you need for that quilt. If you buy a lot of "stash" fabric, you may end up with it sitting on your shelves for years. If you can't find the fabrics you want on sale, go to www.quiltshops.com, type in the name of the fabric or what it looks like plus the word "sale". I do this OFTEN and have no trouble with anything I have purchased from these on-line stores. PM me your address.