I almost always buy yardage and never have a particular pattern in mind. If the fabric will be suitable for a backing or is neutral (cream on cream muslin) I buy 2 yards at a time. If it's fabric that I know I will use soon, I buy 1 yard and if a fat quarter screams my name I'll buy that too. Sometimes I'll have only a yard of something that turns out to be so wonderful in whatever I'm making that I want more and can't find it. That's how I found this board - one of the members had 5 yards for sale of a fabric I desperately wanted for my project. Made my day!