I'm confused - you have a pattern before you buy the fabric?? Hardly ever works that way for me!!! :lol:
Recently, I'm tending towards quilts with bigger pieces - am starting to begrudge all the fabric in the seams (think of log cabin - you end up with almost 1/3 of your fabric in the seams).
I seem to put together quilts that use five colours most often. When I find a run of fabric that I want to put together, and don't know the exact pattern, I usually get 2 or 3 meters of each. This would also explain the current state of the stash.
About the only way I get anywhere close to having the right amount of fabric for the pattern, is when I see a sample at my LQS, and they have a kit, or buy the pattern and have the fabric requirements right there. But I still but a bit more than the pattern calls for ... even though I measure twice (or thrice!) and cut once, I still do silly things.