How much do you buy?

Hello all! I am fairly new to quilting, so I have "scraps" and wish to start building a "stash". When you find fabric that you like, how much do you buy for your stash?

I usually buy a couple fat quarters at a time. Or a charm pack, turnover, or other pre cut. Once in a blue moon I'll buy a yard or two of fabric.

Pam in Vegas

hi Lisa - welcome to the forum! glad you are here.

Not much of a precut user but i do have a couple Charmpacks and Turnovers and Fat Quarters that i have been gifted (love that!) ;)

I tend to go on color hunts - buying 2 to 3 yds of a predetermined Focus Color or a handful of different novelty prints AND ALWAYS at least 1 to 2 yards of white or other nuetral tone on tone! some times its good to buy a whole bunch of 1/2 or 1 yard cuts of solids and other times you may want 6 yards of all black. mix it up and you will have a wonderful stash to work from in no time! :D

* i think it was ms babs on here that noted her stash was made up of fabrics she loved at the time she got them and that now she realized they were mainly all blues. LOL thats funny ;) and reminds me to not buy fabrics that i just love but also fabrics that will make great blenders. :D Most of all HAVE FUN building your stash and then using it in creating wonderful projects :D

I watch for sales and killer deals, then I buy. If the fabrics are trendy, I might only buy a quarter to half a yard. If they are neutrals I'll buy more. You can never have too many neutrals.
Coupons are usually good for one cut. The longer the cut the bigger the savings!
I have collected fat quarters too. I keep them separated by color. That helps me keep an eye on my mix of colors. Again, watch for sales. Realize that 4 fat quarters = 1yd. and figure the price per yard you are paying. It might be cheaper to buy half yards and swap your own fat quarters with a friend!
Happy stash building!

I buy a lot of coordinated fabrics. I buy 1/2 yard pieces for the main top (at least 6 different ones) then a couple of one or two yard pieces or borders. I like to make quilts to fit my queen beds, and they take pretty much fabric for the top. If you think about how big the backing is for a queen quilt (at least 7-1/2 yards) then you will need about that much for the top. That is how I figure it when I don't have specific instructions on how much to buy.

2 yards if you love it min. Welcome BTW!!! I buy 1 yard if I'm buying several prints from the same line. I just bought 4 yards of a clearance material for a OBW. The reason I say 2 yards is that years ago I bought 1/2 yards of prints I loved and I'm haveing a really hard time getting quilts out of them. Most patterns is 5 yards for a top. I keep running short and finally admitted defeat on one and made a wall hanging. I try to buy for projects. I do buy alot of charm packs to get variety and I do a fat quarter of the month club. I live in the in search f catagory on here and theres one fabric I have yet to give up on but I'm getting ready to concede and use a blender for a border because that fabric is nowhere!! sometimes I think it would be less aggervating to build a time machine to 2005 and get these fabrics hahaha Happy quilting!!

If it is a single fabric that I like I usually buy 2 yards. Um, black and white solid ... I buy a bolt when I have a 50% off coupon or better. I will always be able to use black or white.

I will usually buy 1-2 yds of 4-6 coordinates at the same time so u know you will have plenty for most projects. Usually on sale. Most quilts, even big ones K/Q, you can make out of this amount. Recently however, our little Wal Mart is moving into a new Super Center and I got some very nice ( reg $6 yd) fabric for $1 yd. That trip I bought 51 yds and went back the day after and got another 30, mostly in the 1-3 yd range. (I couldn't pass that up.) Buy what appeals to you and and b4 you know it you will have enough fabric to open your own store, lol.

If I really like it or it's a neutral color like basic solids especially navy, or tan, Ivory or cream, I buy at least 3 yards. Like Karen, if I have a 50% coupon I'll get the bolt.

Smart move to buy a bolt at 50% off! I never considered that a possibility. Neutrals...good suggestion. I always tend to think about the focal fabrics, and worried that buying a FQ here and there that when it came time to make a quilt I wouldn't have enough, and wouldn't be able to find it anywhere anymore. Obviously, I need to re-think the way I think about this stuff! You all are so helpful, thank you!

Well i am still working on my first big quilt, (technically my second), but i have been building my stash for years...when i have seen a fabric i like at a great price i would buy six yards....now that im seriously doing quilting though i usually buy 2 yards , with coupons, and if i ABSOULUTELYLOVEGOTTAHAVEIT I will still get six yards!!! but i have alot of 2 yard cuts. ALOT!!!! and ALOT of quilts in my head i want to make with them!!!! Welcome and enjoy the fun of building your stash!!!!

I usually buy 3 yards but if it's plain and can be used for backing I will usually buy about 7. I also pick up fat quarters and remnants.

I buy 3 yards of the focus fabric so I can cut borders lengthwise and also use it in the blocks. Alll other fabrics to go with the focus fabric I buy 1 yard. If I find a terrific deal I will buy 6 yards so I have the option of using it as backing. Neutrals and blenders are always needed, so I buy according to what I can afford that day!

I too am building my stash since I just started quilting, thank you all for letting me know much I should buy, I have not been buying enough of the base colors. I now just need to start sewing what I have up :)

It also depends on the type of quilter you tend to be. Myself, I usually make scrappy quilts and like to have lots of variety in a quilt. That being said, I have a ton of UFO projects. Every new pattern tempts me to try a block of it to see if I can put it together, like a puzzle that needs to be solved, tackled. Someone else on here mentioned this mindset. Hopefully, you are a starter, finisher. I'm easily distracted!!
Now to what I was going to suggest to you. Once you consider your own quilting style, personality, that will influence how much of a particular print that you should buy. I would never end up using 6 yards of black, esp. a solid black. I know I have at least a yard of it and noticed that it picks up lint something awful and it's a good fabric. I have also search unsuccessfully for more of a fabric that I had just bought a FQ or remnant of and never found more and had to substitute another. Since I like scrappy quilts, substituting isn't a problem.
Anyway, your own personality will dictate how much of a fabric you will want to buy. As I said, I'm unlikely to use a whole bolt of any fabric unless it is a neutral for a backing and even then, that's a lot for me to buy. So, consider everyone's advice and enjoy shopping. A quick note about what I'm doing at the moment.....my local quilt shop has a little basket of remnants packed in ziplock bags. Some might have 8 remants in it of coordinating prints or it might have 2 pieces of similar prints, etc. A recent purchase was of a red Civil War prints that I just love that was 1/2 yd. and another smaller piece of something that matched. This is a gorgeous CW fabric that I had not been able to find elsewhere and the little packs are only $3.00 so it was a great bargain!!
Enjoy collecting!! Brenda

I also like scrappy quilts and usually will buy at minimum 1 yard and if I absolutely adore it I will buy 3 yards or more.....also love fat quarters and will buy those when they are on sale but only then....I buy good quality white muslin in 108 width and almost always buy either 10 yards or the entire bolt with a coupon of course!

I buy the muslin for my backing and use the scraps wherever I need some white for contrast