lindaschipper

I decide on a pattern, get my fabric, cut a couple blocks to see how it will work out, continue making blocks, quilt. I'm not a disciplined quilter...

sandy l

My kind of thinking

SusieQOH

I also wing it. I get a lot of ideas from Youtube like Jenny Doan or Donna Jordan and a couple of blogs I follow. I buy fabric without a quilt in mind. I buy what I like and then figure out how I'm going to use it.
I also gets tons of ideas from all my fellow quilters right here

Iceblossom

Inspiration hits in many ways. Sometimes I know what the final product I want and look for fabrics to make it, but more often I am taken by a fabric or a collection of fabrics and let them speak to me. For example, as I've been organizing my fabric I've pulled my Civil War fabrics into their own collection. Part of that is a large number of 10" swapping squares so I've had to select a block and technique that will let me use assorted fabric that small. I believe I've chosen a block and an all-random scrap style that will work well with period/theme/fabric size even if it is a bit chaotic for my tastes.

Sometimes I am learning new techniques or otherwise challenging myself in some way. And speaking of chaotic, my recent Wonky Bright project has been all about that from the first moment I saw the bag of scraps at the Goodwill and thought to myself "oh my, what a collection of fabric I would never get but somehow I see it all works together".

Other days, well I just like having a project to work on so I sew... It's not quite a joke when I say most of my quilting is planned ahead for the next 5-10 years. If I don't have an actual project box started, I have concepts in my mind like I know I want to do some stuff with 3D effects in the near future -- not quite sure what I will do but I want to have some fun with it.

My family teases me about going into "quilt world" when I enter the design process. It can be quick or it can last for a couple of weeks of musing and playing with concepts. Sometimes I bring out fabric into the living room and put it on the couch for "auditions". I have pads of graph paper, stacks of magazines by the bed, and Electric Quilt on the computer. Even if I'm basing my design on something published, I typically draft it out myself because it helps me understand how to put the block together better and typically there is something I want to do differently anyway whether it is scale or construction method.

Sometimes I just play with quilt or block designs just to play with them. It's like puzzles for me.

Because of how I work with scraps and collections it may take quite a bit of collection/planning time before I'm ready to cut or sew -- years even. I will start a project box for the fabric first, along with a few notes or EQ block/quilt diagrams or magazine or other source material. I do write notes to myself and throughout the process I will make charts of cutting instructions or whatever that I stick up to the bulletin board. I do not start cutting until I've collected all of my fabrics (or at least know what my minimum size requirement is), and I prefer to do all of one stage at a time throughout the process. Consistency is key to me, and if I make a mistake well at least I have a consistent fix to do.

Right now I'm sort of in-between projects. I have several planned and collected and ready to make, but not feeling like proceeding on those but I don't want to start any new ones either. So I'm going to do a couple quick and easy donation baby tops to keep on sewing! Both of those ideas came from pictures posted on this board which is becoming another part of my design process

AZ Jane

I start with who I am making it for. Adult, child, male, female, specific person. Inspiration usually comes from there.

toverly

I start with the block. If I like it, I figure out a size. I'm a scrappy girl so I don't start with a certain fabric line unless I have a precut set in it. I only offer finished quilts. I've discovered it's way to hard to come up with a quilt out of someone else's colors. With me it's, here it is, do you like one? Most of the time, it's yes.

bearisgray

My Mom used to weave floor rugs (about 27 x 60) - she did only one or two custom jobs and decided to make what she could with her own fabrics. My Mom did not swear very often - but she came close on those two projects.

dallen4350

Each quilt has it’s own method. I do tend to save pictures of quilts to a folder. Later I may use publisher to figure out the blocks or look at colors. I often use excel to determine fabric requirements. Sometimes an idea will sit for years. Other times, if I’m making a quilt for a particular person/event, it may take only days or hours to begin. I never just start cutting. There is always some sort of plan.

Onebyone

My sew group has began to use panels to make quilts. We cut them, re arrange them add blocks, embellish, thread paint, embroidery, what ever we like. The quilts are beautiful and we get our creative streak a boost without investing a lot of time.

dunster

Usually I see a quilt online that I really love. I figure out the design using EQ8, then start pulling fabrics from stash. If it's not entirely scrappy, I use Excel to figure out yardage, number of strips, etc. and then start cutting and sewing. I use a design wall to position the blocks. I usually load it on the longarm as soon as the top is finished, and the binding goes on immediately after that. One project at a time (usually), with a big lag in between projects while I decide what's next.