I have to follow patterns. I have made a few quilts kind of on my own but for the most part I follow the pattern. It seems like I am in the minority. Maybe I just don't have that kind of imagination.

I use patterns, I am firm believer in thinking for myself that I can't do it without a pattern. So I have all these patterns and 90% I haven't even used. So what does that tell me, I'm a dork and I spend too much on stuff I don't need.

I dont use patterns, I do look at books and mags for inspiration but thats as far as it goes.

I like to use a pattern as a guide. But I rarely take a pattern to a LQS and buy the fabric for that particular quilt. I think I did that once when I decided to pick up quilting again after many years away from it. Like so many women, I just didn't have time to sew when my children were young. That quilt is still a UFO in my scrap basket. The piecing is so bad I just can't bring myself to quilt it. But I can't bear to get rid of it either. LOL. I use a pattern like a recipe. If I don't have something or if I don't like something, I change it. It's usually still good and I don't have the stress of spending time and money unnecessarily.

I tend to make my own, although for a few projects I have followed patterns. For this reason, I prefer "block pattern" books to books that give you patterns for whole quilts, because I just never use the patterns, though I may use pieces of them. I read books and magazines mostly for inspiration.

I never make a quilt exactly from a pattern with all the same (or similar) fabrics as shown in the pattern. Even when I follow a pattern I usually end up changing size or border widths or something.

I use a lot of graph paper. :)

I have done both. My first quilt was with a pattern. It was difficult to follow, but turned out great. Next quilt was without a pattern. I am still new to quilting. I love books and magazines.. I mainly use them for education and inspiration. : )

I'm not sure I know how to answer that. I've never bought a specific pattern, but I have lots of books & magazines that have patterns in them. Over the years, I've made an appliqued quilt top from one of the magazines, a French braid quilt from book directions and am currently making the Farmer's Wife Sampler (using book & templates). Generally, I just get ideas from magazines, books, catalogs, etc., and go from there. I also have MANY nice free-on-line patterns stored on my computer, none of which I've tried as yet.

I use patterns and usually follow the directions to the end. I am always afraid if I do not my quilt will not come out right. I am always amazed by people that do not use patterns. They think out of the box.
Recently I ventured out of my very comfortable box and made some doll quilts. I thought if I goofed up it was only a little quilt. I was surprised that they actually came out pretty well. But try this on a large scale? I don't think so.

I use patterns, bit I often alter them. I feel as if I need a pattern to get me started since I don't want to try to do all the math myself. I got EQ7 for Christmas though, and so I hope to do more designing.

I also have to find some paper and jot something down or draw a quick diagram or sketch when I think of it, or it's lost... Then later, when I need a quilt idea, I can go back through those sketches.