Whenever JoAnn's has their quilting supplies half price I buy 2 or 3 of the large graph paper pads. They are about 15" square, so I like the bigger pages. If I see something I like, I will start to draw out a block or two. I also have a package of twist up colored pencils so that I can also get a feel for what the finished block should look like. There's nothing worse than sketching out a nice block and not knowing how it should be finished. Two fabrics, three fabrics? I leave all of the pages in the pad and refer to them when I need inspiration for a new project.