Planning a quilt: My stash comes out on my big table. As colors and patterns catch my eye, the quilt design evolves in my head. I never follow a set pattern from books, yet use them as guidelines for expanding ideas. As for fabric purchases, I buy what I like from sales in stores, clearance tables, yard sales and thrift stores, etc. There's no rhyme nor reason, yet it all eventually comes together. The best plan is not to have a plan!

Same here... quilt then borders when I get it done because I always change my mind. When I do plan it out like I did with one I am working on now I wish I hadn't... now I have a lot of extra work trying to get some thing I like out of it when if I had just waited I would have used fabric they don't have anymore and been done....

I do it the same as you. The main part of the quilt always *talks* to me for the borders and binding.

Suzy

this is how I manage things also

I do a little of both. Most of the time I buy the top and border fabric at the same time but if nothing strikes me as a good companion for the top I'll wait and buy it later. The binding is usually later too. It depends on what I'm making.

I plan out a main design and let it happen as I go along. Have a general idea of what I definitely want in the quilt, and work around that. All too often I change a fabric or color, and have even changed the size. I do graph a complete quilt before I start. Sometimes what looks good on the graph paper, or even from EQ7, does not always pan out and gets changed. I never cut a complete quilt out before I start. It makes me ill (literally) to have smaller cuts of fabric stored away because I ended up not using it. I may need those larger pieces down the road. Just can't cut it until I am sure I will use it. So, quilt blocks can be up on the design wall for days before a border or binding is decided on.

I too like to plan as I go. Design can change as you stitch along.

I usually just plan as I go since I usually never ever buy all the material I need in one visit. Easier to spread the cost in to a couple of visits then one. Of course I have my sons quilt that I was planning to buys ll the material in one visit. But we shall see. Beth

The design process is different on every quilt I make. Sometimes I'll start with a pattern and add fabrics as I go, or sometimes I'll start with one fabric and add others, then decide on the pattern. And still other times I may start with a specific set of coordinating fabrics. I rarely know exactly what the borders will look like until I get to that point.

I have never made my own creation. I always follow a pattern so I buy all the fabric at once, including the backing. I'm not there yet where I can make my own pattern. Maybe someday I can afford a computer program.