Shorebird

I do make king sized quilts..........and picking up 3 yrds of one color certainly is not enough (about 10-12 yards generally for that size) - so I add other coordinating or contrasting fabrics to get enough........most of the patterns do not call for more than 3 yards of the main color.....and so far I have been save doing it this way......

quilt3311

Its hard to remember what I did when I started quilting. I think I always found a pattern I liked, then did it my way. Picked colors I liked and maybe even changed a few things along the way. Never could seem to follow a pattern from start to finish. Just follow your own instincts and your quilts will turn out wonderful.

Scissor Queen

The fabric tells me.

Annz

Both ways.

sewmom

I have done it both ways, but it is frustrating to me when i see a line of fabric that i "have" to have, but i don't have a pattern in mind. i don't know how much to buy and tend to overbuy(if there is such a thing). i can usually find one eventually. sometimes i see a fabric and a pattern jumps into my mind. Just starting out, it's easier to find a pattern first and then pick out the fabric. when you become more familiar with more patterns, it will be easier to buy fabric first.

rhueluna

I guess I would say I'd pick the pattern first. Making sure the pattern was an easy one to begin with and maybe if you made blocks with scraps of different colors and the same pattern, you would learn how to pick the colors by looking at your seperately chosen block colors. You'd be surprised how different they can look with different colors. That would be fun to see when you finish it. Fresh eyes and a new look at color would be very interesting.

tryitall

I buy my fabric. Then I decide what quilt I am going to make. Then I buy more fabric. A vicious circle. I love it!

peppermint31

lots of times I see a quilt at a show & just HAVE to have that pattern! Then I get fabric

mpeters1200

Um...that would be me. I started out of necessity. We had only one income for a long time and I could only buy "just enough". I made sure to read instructions carefully and try to "see" the shapes included to decide if it was simple enough to do. I couldn't afford to have so much money tied into different projects.

We are in a bit of a better place. I've inherited a few things here and there and now have a little stash. I still decide the pattern before the fabric, the only exception is a little patriotic work I'm doing now. Instead of buying "just enough", I try to increase my yardage to 1/2 or 1 yard more than I need. Someday, I hope to make enough scraps to make a scrappy quilt.

ProLongarmARTQUILTER

Me ,FABRICS WIN!!! Patterns I LOVE< But I Buy Fabric anyhow so, That's what I do, I look for easy if possible haven't been at this to long and usually go on my own way to sew the quilt and quilt it, It's me!!!