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You will come to find that you do both, pick pattern first as well as pick fabric first.
I am genetically drawn to red/white, I think. So I have a lot of those fabrics, of every shape and style.
So I notice all red/white quilts regardless of pattern, and think if I would like to reproduce that.
And I think of all designs as they might look in red/white.
Otherwise, on the one hand, I might take a fancy to some pattern I see like New York Beauty or some new-to-me technique like Continuous Prairie Points, and then pick the fabrics second.
On the other hand, I might think of how I would like a particular fabric displayed, that is to say, does it need a lot of exposure as a main visual element or does it need to merely peekaboo in the design? or does it need points? or does it need curves? or does it need lines? or does it need dimensionality?
On the gripping hand, I think of a pattern I am dying to make, such as Schoolhouse which I have always loved and never yet made, and think how I might like to show it in colors and shading. Do I want it Traditional? or Updated?
But mostly, I just have a lot of all kinds of fabric and a lot of patterns and keep sewing and keep collecting more of all of it.
I just love quilts!!
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