Like NJ Quilter, I always have a pattern in mind first, since I never buy fabric without a pattern in mind. The only exception is that I will occasionally buy light fabric for scrappy quilts. I never seem to have enough. The small stash I have is almost all fat quarters that were gifted to me years ago, and scraps from quilts I have made previously. I'm sure I could make enough quilts with what I have to last my lifetime.