Buying fabric, I am soooo confused.
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Southern Indiana
Posts: 283
I am very new at quilting, I am trying to buy my fabric for a small quilt or a table runner I have been looking on the internet and am wondering which way is the best way to buy fabric. Should I buy fabric by the yard, fat quarters, charm packs or jelly rolls. I just need some advice and all of you on this board are so nice and helpful.
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Glen Burnie, MD
Posts: 927
I wouldn't recommend fat quarters unless you are sure you will buy all that you need or will be able to get the same fabric to finish your project. I made that mistake with my first quilt, it is a king size and I bought all I could at the same Walmart and then had to visit every other Walmart I could find in Maryland to get enough to finish. I did manage to get what I needed but I won't make that mistake again. Welcome to the board Cheri62 you will love it here and good luck with your project.
#5
If you don't have any fabric yet, I suggest you decide on a pattern. Then buy the fabric. I believe yardage is the way to go. When I just buy fabric, not knowing what I'm going to do with it, I buy at least one yard. Of course, I love scrappy, so I always have enough, lol.
#6
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: A Hop from Heaven, a Skip from Sanity and a Jump from the Good Life....
Posts: 6,665
IMHO it really depends on what you wanna do.. If its scrappy then yes, a bunch of Fqs will work if you are sticking to a pattern buy a lil more then what it suggests for error...
#7
When I started, I bought only yardage.
I would suggest you purchase fabric (yardage)for a pattern/project the first few you do. That way you have what you need for each project. Once you get going and have a favorite color palette or block you might gravitate towards purchasing some Fat Quarters.
I would suggest you purchase fabric (yardage)for a pattern/project the first few you do. That way you have what you need for each project. Once you get going and have a favorite color palette or block you might gravitate towards purchasing some Fat Quarters.
#8
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 3,257
Being new to quilting also, I find it easiest to first find a pattern I like and then buy the fabric according to the instructions. I often try to find the pictured fabric because I'm not real confident with color choices either. I much prefer to buy yardage rather than precuts inless they are called for by a pattern. They seem a waste of money to me and I don't mind having left overs for another project.
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Central Ohio
Posts: 1,079
When I first started quilting I bought mostly yardage with a few fat quarters. I bought a good supply of fat quarters on Ebay a little later while still buying yardage at my LQS and online. I finally settled into making scrappy quilts. I know what colors I like and when I see something I like I buy at least two yards. If you have extra yardage you can always start to fill your scrap box or if you have enough left over from a project just put it back into your stash. Have fun!
#10
Greetings, I buy yardage from a quilt shop and if i'm unsure of things I take the pattern with me there often great help, also because I make my share of errors I always ask because fabric changes often what fabric do they keep in stock. Nothings worse than finding I don't have enough due to my errors.
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