Shopping for quilt fabric

It's really easy to get caught up in the thrill of counting the dollars you've saved versus the dollars you've spent when using a coupon or buying something on sale. I am infamous for only thinking about how much I "saved" versus how much I spent. But if you buy a yard of $10/yard fabric for $4 and never use it, have you really saved $4, or have you just lost $6?


And when impulse-buying fabric, it's always a guessing game: "I love this fabric — and it's 40% off — how much should I get?!"

So I'm beginning to find it incredibly helpful to keep a list on my computer of projects on my to-do list, including the yardages I need for them. That way the conversation in my head goes a little more like this: "I love this fabric! I could use it for that project for my mom for Mother's Day. And it's 40% off!" I know exactly how much I need, so I don't wind up with too much or too little. I find online shopping overwhelmingly convenient, since I am a night owl and you can check prices at a plethora of retailers without leaving the couch.

And speaking of great fabric deals, I just discovered the Missouri Star Quilt Co., which offers a "ridiculous brand new quilting deal" every day. Their "daily deal" looks to be somewhat addictive.

And, contrary to everything I said above, I feel I must add that if I find a good deal on something I just can't live without, I would probably impulsively buy it, and then create a project for it. This collection is a great example: 

(Another great example is the Happy Campers quilt I'm currently making for my dad's birthday — I got five more blocks done today AND my backing fabric came in the mail. Thanks, WhipstitchFabrics!)