System?? What is that? When I buy fabric I usually buy more than I need. Or sometimes I just buy a yard or 2 because I love the fabric. Same with FQs. It is very dangerous for me looking at fat quarters. When I see ones that I love I usually buy a couple. I never had a system and have accumulated everything that I have by chance. Colleen

How much to buy? It depends on how scrappy or how co-ordinated you like your finished quilts. How many quilts do you make from patterns that require only a few fabrics, and lots of each? Take that into consideration.

I tend to like scrappy/blendy quilts. I tend to buy tone-on-tone or relatively quiet fabrics, with less than 10% being "star performers."

I usually get half yards or fat quarters of blenders, one yard or more of a fabric with a definite pattern, and for border prints ... more than I think I'll need, in order to match the corners. I don't have many of those.

If I see a fabric I really, really LOVE, then I get 2 or 3 yards. Maybe even 5 or 6 yards. I'm starting to recognize those "have to have" fabrics while I'm still in the store, instead of after they're all gone and I wish I had bought more.

I always buy at least a yd of a fabric I like. I'm not really big on FQ as I make big quilts and I'm not good with scrappy.

I usually get my stash from having extra after i make a large quilt. i always buy extra because I ALWAYS make some kind of mistake..LOL The one time I didn't, I couldn't find the fabric I needed, so I made sure it never happened again.

Lynette

Only advice I can give is don,t buy to many 3yd pieces and with a print all going one way, thats what I did and its awful hard to find different patterns that need 3yds, I have found the 5yd pieces I brought the most useful and don,t buy to much, blenders are what I have to keep buying now am slowly getting my stash down.
Gillian

Hi Lynn  Sorry I canÂt help on the yardage to buy. I usually buy on a whim with no real plan, I see it and I have to have it, I guess 1 to 3 yards depending on what it is. IÂll share one thing I learned last year....I thought I was being all smart building my stash with my JoannÂs coupons. Over a period of months I bought so many one yard cuts of solid colors when everything else was on sale. Well, IÂve learned that solids donÂt always look as good in a quilt as a blender would. Solids sometimes pop out too much in a quilt. My new thing is buying blenders or mottled (?) colors. That is what I am trying to build. Just my 2 cents.

Nina

If its on sale and I like it, I buy 3-5 metres. I rarely know what I'll use it for and I rarely go out to buy something specific. So far, buying is far out-weighing using. Equals stash. I guess that's my system, which I'm not necessarily recommending.

Faye

Oh, thanks to all of you! You gave me pointers I never considered...like using blenders. You have all given me some kind of direction..and when I get in a fabric store-I need direction! or I'll just pop anything on the counter and say "cut it!" At least now I have an idea of not only how much to buy, but WHAT to buy.
You gals are the greatest!
Thanks again!
Lynn in PA

When I started making quilts I was buying 1-2 yards at a time..well the quilt needed quite a bit of fabric and I didnt buy enough..I went online to find it, finally found it in California and paid lots of money plus shipping..never again..if I like it I buy 5 yards..a good amount....fat quarters I buy less of since I never find ones that will take care of what Im doing and then I have to find more of that fabric..again I have to search and I hate that..lolol...Judy

All of the above are good, typical experiences of quilters and I've done all of them. But one thing that I find lacking in my stash and I don't notice until I need it, is blenders in colors I'm not so attracted to. I found in the last few months that I was lacking browns, tans, and greens and low on blues. But when you need them, you need them. The rest is free-for-all and eye candy when I walk into a quilt shop. That goes for sale items too. I'll buy ugly fabric if it's cheap enough.

I wouldn't follow my lead if I were you.

Kay

Buy what you like...that's all you really need to know. I tend to like scrappy quilts....the more fabrics the better....so I buy lots and lots of fat quarters (occasionally, when I find a BIG sale, I'll buy 2-3 yds)......and, I NEVER, but NEVER buy solids....I like some sort of 'movement' in all fabric....patterns are best, and next to that the mottled or marbles....but, NEVER just solid....I find them strictly one dimensional and strictly boring!

I buy what I need for a project plus 10-20%. The leftovers are my stash. I don't purposely build a stash. I simply make sure I have enough of the fabrics I need to complete the project with a bit extra in case I screw up, LOL.

I guess my stash just "happened" over the years. I started out going through the remnants bins in the fabric stores, grabbing the 100% cotton pieces, and 15 years ago, they were mostly little prints - calicos. I've since gotten more choosey. I save what's left over from projects, and also purposely overbuy if I really like the fabric. I never thought of having a system for building a stash - it just slowly grew. You do need to make sure you have a good supply of neutrals - white-on-whites, beiges, etc. and I seldom buy solids - tone-on-tones and mottled shades are my building blocks, and prints that I love are included in there. I also have acquired alot of fabric odds and ends from co-workers and friends in years past, who know I quilt, and won't turn free fabric down, then I keep what I want, and pass the rest on. My advice is if you see a fabric you just love, but maybe don't have a plan for yet, buy some anyway! It may not be there long, and if you love it, you will find a use for it. That's a stash.

I don't have a plan,i see it,i like it,i buy it.At least that is how i used to do it.Now i'm trying to use it all up.LOL.I need to live to be 300 years old to do that,so don't get too carried away!!!
Kathi

I have no particular system and have never really set out to build my stash, but these are the fabrics I tend to buy the most of:
(1) cheap unbleached muslin (10~20 yds. at a time; I can always use this.)
(2) solid muslins (3~6 yds.), because I like to use them as background for I-Spy quilts and 9-to-4 patterns to set off the pictures in the remaining squares.
(3) anything whose pattern AND colors I absolutely love. At least 2~3 yds. of such a fabric, and if the pattern contains cats or other animals, maybe a lot more!

Anything else, I get from 1/2 yd. (for "string swaps," for example) to 2 or 3 yds. I never buy FQ's, though I take part in FQ swaps, for which I have to buy at least 1&1/2 yds. of a fabric. I figure that if I like the fabric so much that I would buy a FQ, I will probably like it enough to have a yard or two of it and use it again!

And I now have a stash of sorts, but it is in deplorable condition and I need to take a day to sort it all out by some system and put small pieces by themselves, etc. But you know what the road to he!! is paved with, lol.

More good tips! and thanks much again. Buying quilting fabrics is much different than buying clothing fabrics...and I think I'm getting the hang of it.

Lynn in PA

Hi Lynn,
I already have a wonderful stash of clothing fabrics in lots of colors, all poly/cotton, or some other blend.
Getting my cottons built up is more difficult. I tend to be drawn to the "eye-candy". Now I have lots of fabrics that don't really go together, but wouldn't give up one tiny bit of it. I love looking at my fabrics, until in the middle of the night I want to put a quick throw together and I don't have anything that works.
I plan to rectify that problem on June 5th. My LQS is going out of business and I have been picking up fabrics here and there, but she is putting everything on sale at 75% off. I showed the card she sent me announcing the sale, to my DH and he said "looks like you'd better start putting lots of money back!" Can you believe that,not only am I going shopping, but he wants me to!

I plan to buy lots of whatever she has. I see my stash growing as I type this.

I know I wasn't a lots of help. sorry

doris=^.^=

Now, Woodsy, I'm the odd one out here. I see NO POINT whatsoever in a stash. I know, I'm strange! BUT You can't know what fabrics will come out in 6 months, you can't know what you'll fancy doing in the future. I just buy as and when I need fabric and buy the ammount for that quilt. I don't want dusty, old fabric that I've already used in another quilt. I don't want to see it again and feel guilty about not using it. Oh, well. That's me!

I started buying with a particular quilt in mind. Got only what I needed. On one I accidentally cut my squares 1/8" too large and ran out. When I went back to the store for more I found it in the remnants - there was just enough. Since then I have bought extra.

When I made two quilts with a planned scrappy I started buying fat quarters. I spent two years collecting FQ from every quilt shop I found. I had a lot.

One question to ask yourself is are you currently leaning towards scrappy or planned?
Another question would regard your storage. How many rooms can you devote to your stash?

Glassquilt...I'm not looking to have an inventory! lol..just some basics that I can use when the mood stikes. How many rooms??? lol...I have one bookshelf of space in my small sewing room. But, I will concentrate on blenders, and I want some novelty prints for charity quilts. Everyone's experience has helped me form an idea of what I need..and has given me some direction.

Lynn, I had no fabric when I started, and have been enjoying the fat quarter, I-spy/novelty and strings swaps to get some extra. I've been very pleased with what I got back in return, many colors/combinations I'd never think of buying myself but I love once I have them. I did buy specific fabric for a quilt I made in my beginner quilting class and that was fun to put colors together for a specific project. When I go to quilt shows or sales, I think about things I want to try, like I bought flannel at the JoAnn's sale for .99/yard for baby rag quilts, found a bunch of homespuns for a rag quilt for $2.50/half yard, and batiks at $1/FQ. Now I'm starting to find homes/projects for some of the fabrics and I think I may have found a project for the batiks. I still don't have a lot of colors to play with and that's probably where I'll start filling out next. I like tone on tones a lot, and I'm learning "movement" as Sandra mentioned. It does seem you need the lights, mediums and darks. Oh and I don't have a lot of space either, just one big storage bin, so I'll need to start using some stuff! --Amy

when I first started with this wonderful hobby I automatically bought 5 yards or more of whatever I needed. Then I figured out I could have more variety on hand if I bought just 1 yard of each. When I worked it was sporadic at best, so I bought when I had money, then when I had no work I had plenty of stash. this system worked really good for me....then came freecycle. If you haven't heard of it, go to freecycle.org and sign up for your area. You would be amazed at the number of folks downsizing their stash....granted, some is less than ideal, but when you have it around, and it was free, you are more apt to use it! LOL Now..about that storage issue...I have 2 trash bags with fat quarter or fat eighth size, all colors and prints imaginable. I still haven't figured out how to sort that all out, my cupboard is full! LOL...but I'm having fun!
Lisa

Lisa..I'm trying to talk my hubby into giving me his CD tower..it has shelves in it..I saw that tip on the internet, the shelves are just the right size to hold FQ. (But I've had no luck yet with that request!! lol) Guess I'll be looking at yard sales for one or two of those! Glad you're having fun..and I'll look up that freecycle thing, too. Thanks
Lynn in PA

hmm...I think I shall post on freecycle to see if anyone has a cd tower? think I've seen a few! hahahaha..thank you!

Don't completely avoid solids if you think you might someday make an Amish type quilt! I have one on my "to do" list for "someday!"

my system has evolved some with my quilting. Now that I've been at it a little while and I know a lot of good online sites with frequent sales and huge selections I feel less compelled to buy everything I like.

I know that if I start a project with specific needs I can always get good "blender" fabrics when I need them. I've found I used to buy all the fabric that "would be good for background some day" but it's never "just right" when the time comes so I have to buy more anyhow.

Now I am more likely to TRY to buy fabrics for stash building that I SIMPLY MUST HAVE.

I also know the move prints through so if I REALLY LOVE something I buy a fair amount (5 yards) so I won't run out. But then I like bigger quilts too.

I also tend to snap up stripes and checks that I really like -- particularly stripes. They sound so simple but I've found them quite hard to come by when I want them.

Also -- if you like scrappy, you can do the smaller cuts. Otherwise, you might want to get bigger cuts. I think I would get at least 3 yards of a fabric for any one quilt. It's very expensive to have to go back for more 'cause of all the OTHER fabric you'll see that you can't live without....

Personally, I'm not a big FQ fan, but would be if I liked scrappy more. Or for Applique and Birthday blocks.

Sorry so long!

I'm with Islay. I decide on a project and buy for that project. There are always leftovers which will be my stash. I occasionally buy FQ that I can't resist but I like scrappy so I think I will eventually use them. Style and colors change over time and I often change my mind about my projects before I get them done. I do have some stash I guess but only a couple drawers which isn't bad compared to others I know. You know who you are so I won't mention any names> LOL

I think I agree with Islay, although I have a pretty big stash. But it seems when I want to make a quilt, I still have to buy new fabric because I don't have enough of anything to make a whole quilt.

After my house is back in order, I'm going to start using up my stash. That should make my dh happy. He doesn't get it at all - any more than I understand why he has to have tons of bins with nails, screws, and every other odd part that comes out of something.

If you plan to make more totes, wall quilts, and charity quilts you may not need lots of yardage of any one fabric. If you stick with small charity quilts that are 40" or less in width, then you can buy 1 1/2 to 2 yds pieces on sale to use as the backing. Look at the size totes you make and plan to buy accordingly.

Novelty fabrics do well for totes, wall quilts, and small charity quilts. There are some really cute novelty fabrics out now - I've bought countless 3/4 yd. pieces to make pillowcases.

I love to make baby quilts and scrappy lap quilts, so I buy fat quarters and lots of 1/2 yd. pieces. My purchases of 3-5 yds. of one fabric are most often for backings.

One thing I do not do anymore is buy the borders when I buy the quilt top fabrics. I prefer to "audition" the borders at the Local Quilt Shops (LQS) when the top is completed.

Teresa