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