Do you or don't you?
 

When I start a new quilt, I only plan the main section. I let the quilt determine the borders, binding and backing. I get some strange looks from people when I show them my wip and they ask me about the borders. They will, quite often, give me suggestions on what I might use for borders which I may not have thought of. I like the idea of planning as I go along.

My question is - Do you plan the whole quilt (main, borders, binding, backing and batting) before you start or do you plan as you go along?

I do the same. The few times I bought border fabric I realized that it wouldn't work with my vision. So it became part of my stash and I ended up buying more fabric....like that's a bad thing? I guess you could say that I fly by the seat of my pants.

I start with the design and wing it from there. My style. I decide as I go. Love working this way.

I will try to plan the whole quilt top and get the fabrics - the actual border fabric may not be known, but the fabrics that I'm using, I've already purchased. The backing, I may purchase later. It actually spreads the cost out over a period of time.

I agree with the plan as I go method.. I have never used a pattern.. and would probably have a hard time using one..

I guess I'm the opposite. Most of the time I buy the fabric for the borders and binding when I buy the main fabric. Once in a while I change my mind, but not very often.

I also design as I go. I just sketched one out the other night and when I showed it to my husband he said "what are you going to put around it". Dunno. I'll cross that bridge when I see it.

I do both. Sometimes I use patterns and the good Lord knows there are some stunning new and old patterns out there begging to be sewn up. I also sometimes find a specific piece of fabric that just speaks to me and tells me what it wants to become. At times like that there is frequently no fabric produced yet that will go with the main fabric so I wait. I never sit down and draw out a pattern and then go in search of fabrics to make it. That's like dreaming of a yellow sweater you've never seen anywhere before. Ha!

A lot of times I start with the border fabric and design in. Right now I have a hydrangea fabric that is totally perfect to make a small bed topper for the guest bed but I have no fabric that is close to the right colors for the main part of the quilt. I have no idea what I'm going to do in the main part yet because I only have enough of the hydrangea fabric for the borders.