SewsonSaturday

i start off with a pattern then change it to what fits best for me.

Annaquilts

Patterns can inspire me but I mostly end up tweaking it. I buy books for techinques more then patterns and seldom buy a single pattern. Working on my own pattern is one of the greatest joys in quilting for me.

tullylynn

I guess it depends on whether I'm going traditional or artsy. The more traditional the quilt, the more I'm apt to use a pattern and the more artsy, the more it's my design.

Cuilteanna

I like to play in EQ and work from that. Even if I have a pattern, I tend to re-draft it and change the colours around before I cut anything.

And the fabric requirements in EQ will definitely not leave you short!!

quilterella

I have boxes of patterns that aren't even opened, 3 shelves of books, that I look at for techniques, and more magazines than I'll ever know what to do with. I love to look at the pictures, they give me inspiration (or pass the time when I'm procrastinating doing the bindings). So, do I use patterns? Not unless it is a specific layout or pattern that I want. Otherwise I just use one or two blocks, and create from there.

Becky Crafts

Exactly! I make one block their way, then it takes on a life of its own. If I run out of one color, I use another & switch blocks around until I like the layout and size. Sometimes I start with patterns for a wall quilt & make an extra long lap Quilt so when we lay down our whole body is covered.

Buttons922

Your suppose to use a pattern? All kidding aside, I usually start with a pattern but change it along the way.

liminanc

I tend not to use patterns. I will look thru magazines then tweek what I see. I can usually look at the design and figure out what I want to do without reading the directions (everybody knows directions are boring lol). I have a friend I quilt with at work on lunch and she is a newbie who always trys to follow patterns, and so many times the directions aren't right, the dimensions on the pictures are wrong (show a rectangle but the printed dimensions are for a square), fabric amounts to buy are way off etc.

plainpat

When I started, all my K size quilts were traditional & I needed the pattern.Eventually,I stared making a block & wondering if I wanted to make a quilt? Often times, the ans was no & that meant learning to put diff size blocks together.

Then I had a lot of fun making blocks from pics, just to see if I could.It's kind of an evolving process.Have seen a few quilts that I can't figure out. Makes me wish for quilting software.....but that's not gonna happen.Really doing good at not buying the little things, so to buy the bigger wants!

Audrey

For the most part I use patterns.I'm not a creative person, I need help.