I bought a yard of a fabric I fell in love with. That was about three years ago and the fabric is still waiting. My experience has been that one yard is not enough to do anything with--so I would either buy more or simply leave the fabric in the store. For me one yard was simply a waste of money. Of course I can still look at the one yard. (Ha, ha.)

yardage or at least FQ's

Welcome to the Board!

I like to buy enough yardage plus coordinating fabric for a large quilt. Put the fabric together until you have a pattern in mind. Put a picture and instructions for the pattern with the collection of fabric. You are then set to go. I do have a stash of fabric that I consider my POP fabric when needed and I use this stash for small projects as well.

Have fun, enjoy the journey and we look forward to hearing from you.

I bought too many fat quarters when I was just starting and eventually figured out that I am just not very scrappy. Now unless it for a particular quilt (in my mind at least) I buy 1 1/4 yards - it makes a nice square -or it did when fabric was 44'-45' wide. Also I have a friend with similar color tastes and we occasionally will buy border fabric and split it lengthwise down the middle.

I live in an area with NO quilt shops locally. When I order on line I usually buy FQs or Layer Cakes (think 10 Min. Block). I love scrappy.

When I first started quilting, I had enough $ to buy what I wanted. I spent many years and $ buying for all the different types of quilts that came along and developing my own "voice". I've finally found my "voice" and wish I'd kept the $. Although it did provide a lot of entertainment while on vacations, I think I've been in every LQS from here to the Canadian border. On the other hand I'm never at a loss to come up with a plan and fabric when in a pinch. And I'm not getting rid of any of it. It'll come back in style eventually.
When a friend started quilting, she was on a tight budget, she let the guild know she wanted anyone's scraps. 15 yrs later people still give her scraps and she makes the most beautiful scrap quilts, often winning ribbons. She has added art quilts to her activities.

See: "Stash Quiltn nannie" for a good trip through quilter + hubby and stash

I tend to get at least one yard - I can usually get two Bow Tucks bags out of that, plus my bags are unique with limited fabrics. However, if I see something that jumps into my cart, for example, I would buy 2-3 yards, depending on my budget, then I might buy a couple 1 yd pieces to coordinate. However, once my girlfriend and I were visiting a LQS that had a discount bin of fabric at $2.99 - the owner said they were making room for new fabric and thus willing to charge less,even though it was the same quality fabric. Well, at the time I had picked up several 6-8 yds. of several different fabric to use as backing fabrics. Never let it be said that fabric does not talk to you - when making a raffle quilt for my church's holiday fair I went looking through my stash and lo and behold, one piece I had purchased for backing, refused to be a backing and wanted top billing, so it became my focus fabric,I picked up a yard or two of coordinating fabric and I ended up with a gorgeous quilt that made over $1000 for the church. When fabrics talk - I listen. LOL. But if there's a piece of fabric I just have to have I will try to buy at least 2 yards of it, especially if it is on sale. Now that my husband and I are both on SS, I am so glad that I had been able to buy that fabaric when I did, now I only need to pick up an occasional backing or background fabric and I'm good to go. It's nice to shop in the convenience of your sewing room.

I'll buy a yard or so of a fabric I fall in love with even tho I don't ahve any plans for it when I buy it, if I can afford it at the time. I seldom buy fat qtrs unless it's "just perfect" and I can't find any yardage of the fabric. I don't do that very often tho, that can get expensive fast. I haven't bought any jelly rolls...yet. I've been using what I have in my stash when I need that size for a quilt.

I bought Audra's Iris Garden because it has the absolute best to die for color of deep purple. I looked for a pattern to make a king size quilt to go along with this collection because I knew it would be gone if I didn't get the fabrics now. If you see something you love you should decide what you want to do with it when you see it because it will most likely be gone when you go back to get it.

I always buy yardage.