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Silly question, this, but I found some gorgeous but expensive fabric. I was thinking about buying maybe 10-12 yards to have on hand when the perfect piece of old furniture comes along? Is this enough...too much, or just a bad idea? Thanks...ps..maybe valences? How much for 4 windows 50" wide thanks again.

Personally I would never do that. I have only about 3 yrds I bought several years ago because it was gorgeous and on sale. Still havn't used it..It is either too much, or too little for anything I want to use it for, and I have never fund a cordinating fabric to use with it.

Also the amount you need for valences varies greatly by the type of valance, fullness you want, etc. and also matching the pattern if it is a type that would require matching as most pattern fabrics are.

Another thing I find about buying fabric without a secific use at the time, is that if enough time passes you wil have more difficulty finding other fabrics to go with it as colors change --unless the fabric is a neutral, or a pattern with a neutral background.

Thank you, that is exactly the advice I needed. Think I'll hold off.

I did this not too long ago with a piece of fabric I loved because of its' color. But it only cost about $35 for yards. I would not do this with expensive fabric.

thanks,I think I will wait til I find the perfect chair, THEN buy the fabric.

I got great fabric on sale too, on a tube, 12 yards same as you. I still have the fabric and the decor in my old house and colors that I can't use it here. I love the fabric but have to 'work' it into my new place if I want to use it.

Here on Craigslist, in the materials postings there are a lot of fabrics for sale all with about 12-20 yrds and they try and recover some of their money but it stays on the listings for a long time. Partly because people around here do not sew as much as people up North.

If the fabric is a great deal and I don't have a specific use for it, my rule of thumb is 10 yards.

Some 5 or 6 (or was it 7???) years ago I bought 25 yards of fabric to make some drapes for a house we built. However before we could move into it, we sold it. So I never made the drapes. I STILL have those 25 yards. Not sure what I am going to do with it. But now I wish I hadn't bought it.

I have at least 5 bolts of fabric taking up storage space. I had the best intentions with each one, I really did.

Oh, my... The votes are stacking up for common sense! Thank you.

I am probably not the best person to respond to this because I am a fabric addict!

That being said, I bought 3 yards of a navy and white stripe fabric on clearance a while ago, just because I loved it. Now that I am re-doing the living room for Summer I thought I would use if for pillows, but decided it would look great on the round ottoman. The problem is, I barely have enough and have been going through contortions trying to make it work. Thanks to several consultations with BDM, who is my sewing guru, I think I have solved the problem. This is my long drawn out way of saying IF you buy fabric, make sure you buy ENOUGH.

Thank you Sharon. That is sort of what I've been doing, if I have a couple of yards of something I love, instead of picking out something else I love, I buy8-10 more yards of what I already have.
I have discovered through Etsy people to make curtains for me, and Scalamandre has a Third Floor on their site with some very good deals.
For a smaller outlay of money, I have custom drapes to change out with the seasons. This message board has been a big help.

Ok.. Solution to my fixation of this expensive fabric. I bought enough for two nice pillows.

Problem solved.