I agree, 3-4 yds if you love it.

another discussion on this topic:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/search....+fabric+to+buy

Well have I got a story to tell. My husband was on business in Col. and I spent some time running around all the shops in a 1 hr. driving radius. That was a lot of shops. I bought every piece of fabric I loved in 1 1/2 yd pieces, a lot of it Asian fabric. Later I was taking a class and doing a quilt and one of those pieces of fabric was the ABSOLUTE best for the quilt, except I didn't have enough. I could not find anything else that would give me the look I wanted so I needed to find more. Had to try to remember where I bought it in Col. When I did it had to be next day aired to me at a cost of $18.00 plus the cost of the fabric so I would have it in time for my class. I HAD TO HAVE IT !!!!!! Guess what, there was a big snow storm and the plane didn't take off with my fabric so I never did get it. Moral of the story, BUY ENOUGH OF WHAT YOU LOVE !!!!!

If I really LIKE IT I buy 3 yards..........If I absolutely LOVE IT and it is a color that can be used a lot, I buy between 5 & 6 yards.........I will frequently buy 6 yards of "neutrals" or small print fabrics that read as solids.

I usually buy 3 yards but sometimes with batiks, that is not enough so I have been known to buy 5 or 6 yards. I would not want to run out and need more.

Me too! None for me ... I get hives just THINKING about buying $30 worth of fabric and not having a use for it!! LOL I REALLY want to start a stash, but OMG I go into total shock when I walk into the quilt store. I even had an extra $500 coming to me from our tax return and I told myself I am going to stop being a baby and start my stash with it, and when I went into the store, I clammed up, everything was pretty but what if I bought stuff that never really matched anything ..... just.can't.do.it :(

Rachel

Why has fabrice gotten so expensive? I see a fabric in LQS
then see it on line for less. Unless I know how I going to use the fabric I don't buy.

Have you checked ebay for more of your fabric? -- Works for me!

Thats pretty much how I do it too. Although on occasion
I have been known to buy the whole bolt.

If I love it, and it is a focus fabric, I buy three yards so I have borders and enough to piece with.

If the print makes a great backing and is on sale, then I buy 6 yards so I have enough for a twin sized quilt and some piecing.

If it is a great deal and a blender I really like, I buy at least three.

If you have large pieces of fabric for stash and have not used them yet, I find making a two fabric quilt the ideal thing to do. Find an accent color solid and make pinwheels, 9 patches or an Irish chain. Just make sure you cut your borders first so you have a long single piece for each one. White can make a great third color.

When my LQS has a sale on Fusions 7, I buy a bolt of one of my favorite colors because I use them for borders, piecing and backings! Love that fabric!

I always use my coupons at Joanns to buy bolts of kona cotton in favorite (black, red, navy, white) colors for backings or a great white on white.

I only buy FQs on sale and only if I can get 4 of the same design. I tend to lean towards Christmas and Patriotic fabrics for FQs.

Asian fabric is tough for me. I absolutely adore it, and there is so much to choose from, but that is the one type of fabric that I don't seem to work with that is in my stash. Soon.......

Diane

Diane

You look on the end of the bolt and it should have the amount of the bolt there. It varies. Usually 12 to 15 yards for most fabrics.

Ouch! I used to buy a half yard if I liked it and 1 yard if I had to have it UNTIL I began to find out that companies retire some fabrics fairly quickly (in my world) so I buy about 3 yards if I really have to have it and it goes with other colors/prints that I already own.

Recently there was a contributor who posted pictures of a fabric she had fussy cut and arranged in such a beautiful way that everyone who wrote in wanted to know where she bought it. When I wrote to the company they replied they had retired the color/print a year ago. Ouch!

Wow ladies you have been so helpful... from reading the posts this is what I have generally decided. Most have agreed that 3 yards is good... Cost effective if you can't afford a bolt but enough to at least do a boarder. I had never thought of getting a whole bolt with my JoAnns 50% off coupon that is a great Idea. There are some colors you use in a lot of quilting like creams and white. Great Idea.

I usually buy 2 to 3 yard. If you find your quilt shop doesn't have it anymore go on line. Fat Quarter Shop, Fat Quarter World and even Moda web sites will have the material and many times on sale. If you have the name of the design which is on the selvage that helps to find it. I have done this numerous times. Hopes this helps. Some times if the shop is in my area I will go home and thing about it and if the urge is still there the next day or so I go get it. I have been in love many times and then after some time I don't like it.

Jamie, your response opened a sore spot for me. You say you figure you can always go back for more if you need it. I don't know how many times I've gone back & it was gone & could not be reordered.

I was in a real bind one time where I just HAD to have more of one fabric. My LQS kept reordering it but it never showed up. I finally went to Ebay to see what I could find. I found a seller with sev. fat quarters up for auction. One pc. was just what I was looking for. I wrote him directly to ask if he had it by the yd. He did & my prob. was solved. Hooray.

Pat

i usually get 3 yards if i really like it

I used to watch "Simply Quilts" all the time & Alex Anderson always said that she'd never buy less than 3 yds. of a fabric she loved. I never forgot that but I can't quite do it unless I have a particular project in mind. My stash is so huge I have to look there first.
Pat

I believe it's 15 yards