When I started building mine I went for florals and it didn't matter if I had anything to go with it. I loved them. Then when I started to make a kit I didn't have any tonals to go with them. So now I concentrate on tonals. I do not like solid, it has to have some motion. Now I'm finding that I don't have enough med to smaller prints. And also when I really like a fabric I usually buy some of the whole line or 4 or 5 pieces of the tonals they usually have to go with it.

I would lean towards small prints, tone on tone and things that can be used with more than one project. You can then look for focus fabric for a specific project and choose fabrics from your stash to coordinate. This way you can get a variety of fabrics on sale as they close out the fabric dept. but only have to look for and spend on the focus fabric.

Or, put your focus fabric and prints and tonals together with a project in mind for those and have it all together when you are ready to work with that fabric grouping.

Good luck and sorry you are losing your fabric dept. There was a thread on here not too long ago about keeping the Walmart fabric depts. and bringing them back. We'll see what happens.

I'm kind of a new quilter, so I'm currently working on my stash as well. This is how I categorize my fabrics.
Civil War
Baby for gifts
1930s
Christmas
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Bright colors: primary and secondary colors
Pastels
Tone on tone ivory and tone on tone white
Black and other dark solids.

After I sorted and organized I could see where the holes were in my stash.
I've been working a little on landscape fabrics; just a dab of brick, stone, grass, wood, sky etc.
And, trying to get a small assortment of florals that can be incorporated into things.
If I really really like something and think I might use it in a large quilt or as a border, I'll buy 3 yards. For just building a stash of maybe use here and there, I'll buy 1-2 yards. That's enough for a small border or binding.

I just buy what I like for colors and then for a theme for who I will eventually will make quilts for. I like going with "themes" and the hobby/interest that the person has that I want to make it for. I am not a traditional triangle etc designs. Fine if you want to sell them but I make them for my family and friends. Eventually you will make a baby quilt so get male colors and female colors for that. Themes are great.
But u might want to go with colors that go together.

Hope this is helpful.
Eisgoow

I learned that I really dislike (HATE) solids. They suck up the light and don't offer anything in exchange, IMHO. I prefer fabrics that read as solids. And, as I am "evolving" in my quilting preferences, I actually tend to prefer my own hand-dyes over blenders. So, I tend to buy things that call me. I have a ton of brights that I often use because I love making quilts for kids. If I don't have a kid in mind, my local Linus person is happy for my quilts. That makes me happy because I love the entire process, start to finish, and am thrilled that the end product makes someone happy,whether I know them or not. I also often buy white-on=whites for backgrounds of applique projects or black-on-black for anything.

PS, I don't tend to buy fat quarters because there is simply not enough fabric if I like the print and too much otherwise. I'll buy fq's only if they call me and I will use them ASAP

Laurie

I buy what I like - usually a print - I figure that I can always find blenders and solids to go with it.

Buy plenty of white on white. I use white on alot in quilts.
Do you use florals or geometrics more? I would think of the quilts I have made and would go with that.

buy what you like and what you think you can use

When I first started quilting I bought a lot of fabric for my "stash" and after six years too much of it is still in the stash. Now I only buy if I have a specific project in mind. No matter how beautiful the fabric there will always be more when I need it. Wish now I would not have bought all that fabric.

What is the definition of a blender? Is it a fabric that has a lot of diff colors in it, or what? I understand neutrals, marbles, tone on tone and prints but blenders???? (p.s., I'm pretty new to this, as if you couldn't tell)