I usually wait till the top is done. then let the top help me decide.

I usually pick the border fabric first then pick the fabrics for the blocks based on the border fabric.

Me too. I would panic about not finding something to border that worked well

I may *think* about the border, but I never make any firm plans (like buying or cutting fabric) until I'm done with the center of the quilt .. then I audition ideas.

I do have a quilt in my head (itching to get out) ... I have the border print that would be awesome as a mitered border, so now I have a frame and need to fill it :)

Depends on the quilt, I have done it both ways.

I do it both ways, cause sometimes you find a piece of fabric for the perfect border and sometimes the blocks (center) just can't wait to get going!

If my quilt has a background I use the background for the border to make the quilt top float. I don't like contrasting borders that much. And I usually use the same fabric for the binding. I don't like my quilt to looked boxed in.

Me too. the center of the quilt is usually corrdinated with the border at least the large last border. Sometimes my choice for inner borders and sashing will change. My outer borders are usually chosen with a specific color in ind

It's nice to plan the border first, then I can cut long LOG strips that don"t need pieced, which is nice when the design needs lined up to piece it. That said, the last time I did that the quilt "grew" past it's designated size and I still had to piece. Will allow for creative expression next time. Mitered borders also add length which I hadn't planned on.

I have made 4 projects, I planned the border on all 4 and actually ended up using what I planned once. When the top is finished prior to border, it takes on another look - different than how I envisioned it. That's just me, sometimes my flexible thinking gets me into trouble, I flip and flop until I am totally confused. Drives my husband crazy! To me it's part of my creative process and madness!