Sale fabric - how much to buy?
 

Just wondering how much yardage you buy when you run across a great sale on fabric you just can't pass up, but don't have a particular quilt or pattern in mind. I'm just beginning my adventures into quilting, so any advise will be appreciated.

As much as you can afford and have room for.

It seems that some prints have a very short run - and once they are gone - they are never to be seen again.

On the other hand, buying on sale (excessively) can turn into an addiction.

If it would make a good backing, 5 yards. If it would make a good border, 3 yards. If there are lots of different fabrics I like, 1 yard each.

It depends on the fabric and how I plan to use the fabric. I agree with Tartan, if the fabric would be a focal part of the quilt. Sometimes you know it will make a perfect backing, then I buy the size of an average quilt for me, usually 5 - 6 yards. The next thing I look at is how the pattern repeats. I do not buy fat quarters because they never seem to be enough, so I buy a minimum of 1 yard because I know that I can make a rail fence quilt with 4 - 1 yard pieces of fabric to make a nice size throw. So try and determine what type of quilts you like to make and what size fabric do you need for those quilts.

If you are just starting to build a stash I would buy 1/2 to 1 yard of a lot of things you love. You'll always find a use for them. Bigger pieces of yardage are good for backings and continuous borders but I love have lots of choices for a quilt and don't like going out to buy something to go with. I love having solids or things that read as solids for blending. I love smaller prints and then bigger ones for focus quilting. It just depends on your budget, storage space and desire to be an addict like the rest of us.

If it's one I'm pretty certain I'll use for a backing, I'll buy five to seven yards if the price is around $5.00 to $8.00 per yard. If it's for a possible border, I'll buy three yards as that will permit me to cut them parallel to the selvage edge for minimum stretch and no seams.

Thank you all for your help. I've only finished a lap size quilt and am working on a log cabin I took a class for. The top is done, now just have to finish it. I already know this hobby could become very addicting and would like to build up a good selection of fabrics.

I only bought small pieces, probably just a lot of fat quarters when I first got started quilting. It's probably all I could afford at the time. I now have boxes of annoyingly small pieces of fabric. They're too big to get rid of (I know I'll use that 2" square!) and way too small to ever have a cohesive quilt. I don't mind having lots of scrap batiks because I hand appliqué exclusively with them. The rest seems wasteful though. I wish I had bought less variety of bigger pieces (at least 1 yard). Those fat quarters are so tempting but not as practical IMO.

I buy mostly online so usually I stick to half yard cuts. I don't make large quilts anymore, just tops for charity. Trying to trim down my stash.