Getting misc colors for quilt
 

Hi everyone
I am still learning so could you help me out.
I have been looking at a quilt pattern and is asking for 2.5 yards each of light to medium solid and prints then 2.5 yards medium to dark prints and solids .
So when i go and get the fabric do i just start picking like 8 light to medium and 8 medium to dark to give me a total of 5 yards .
Just seems like i,m going to be a pain in the butt at the store asking for like 1/4 of all these fabrics.
Is there like a package of mixed colors like a fat 8 that is avalable that i could just buy.
Going out of town for the big shopping weekend of fabric and boy is the list getting long . LOL
Good job we have a truck.
Thanks for your help
Tom

It depends on the pattern and the size of the pieces you need to cut. How many colors does it use. Maybe fat quarters will meet your needs.

Asking for a quarter yard (meter) of lots of fabrics is par for the course in a quilt shop. I'm not sure about Canadian shops, but every US shop I've been in has 'fat quarters' available as pre cuts that you can pick thru at the shop. Some shops do stock coordinated fat quarter bundles. If you do need several quarter yard cuts, just be patient and polite. Also, before you leave make sure that your pattern will work well with a fat quarter and doesn't need width of fabric cuts. Another thing is you don't need the same amount of each colorway. For instance, you can get a yard of one fabric, a 3/4 yard of another a half yard of a 3rd and a fat quarter.

Thanks to the tips
I so hope they have fat quarter would make it easy on me and the lady if she does not have to cut all that.
Tom

I always buy half yards for that very reason. Does leave me with extra fabric, but there have been times I needed it. :)

Dina

I'm a huge fan of scrappy quilts, and also of fat quarters. I have yet to find a pattern that calls for yardage like yours (x yards of light, y yards of medium, etc.) that won't work beautifully with fat quarters. I tend to start such projects with quite a bit more yardage than they call for, because I want it even scrappier. Why settle for eight light fabrics when I can use 20 or 30?

Picking your fabric can be one of the best parts! And shop clerks are always very willing to cut for you--that's business for them. But do take your pattern with you--I always rewrite my list from the pattern and take it too--some patterns don't make a great deal of sense until you write it out.

There are quite a few quilts I have done like with gradients and it always called for 1/2 yard pieces of each color so I would start with 1/2 yard like the quilter above said

The other option you might consider is buying an ombre or gradation fabric. Here are some examples:
http://joysfabrics.com/CBFGradationsI.htm

Don't neglect the remnants counter if there is one. Remnants are cheaper than yardage off the bolt and can give you the variety you are looking for.