Fabric or Pattern First?

My amazing man got me an iPad and one of the first books I bought on it was the Burda Style book. It’s really quite the steal….you get the book on your iPad, or Kindle or whatever, and you get the code to go online and download the patterns! At the price of patterns, it’s like buying a book and getting patterns for free. Or..buying the patterns and getting the book for free…

Obviously I have an issue with the whole concept of “what came first, the chicken or the egg” thing. Same goes with patterns and fabric. As I flip through the Burda Style book or any other blog, book, magazine, whatever…it’s like cooking or anything else for me. I sort of make a mental note of what is interesting or the gist of how to do it, then keep perusing at my leisure. Each pattern, or with the analogy of cooking, recipe, states exactly what you need as if I’m going to be a good little girl and notate it all, go to the store and get every exact thing so that I can make it just like it says.

HAHAHAHAHA. Never!!! My brain doesn’t work that way. I go waltzing into Joann’s or I’ll be online at fabricworm.com, it doesn’t really matter where, and I may go in for something specific, but I’ll also walk out with a fabulous bolt of coral polyester chiffon-type-thing that was on clearance for $4/yd or three yards of this yellow bird fabric even though I only needed one yard because I love it. THEN I find things to do with it. This works for me…it’s a nagging reminder on my shelf of money spent that needs to be put to use. Besides, polyester chiffon-type stuff is my Moby Dick at the moment and who isn’t a glutton for punishment?

I’m quite interested in this process for others…not that it’s going to have a damn bit of impact on me, but I am curious. I also picked up Sunday Morning Quilts while I was laid out sick, wanting some good eye candy, and the authors both discuss their fabric buying habits so I know I’m not alone. I’ve had discussions with friends on the twitters about recipe/grocery buying habits as well, and find it a similarly fascinating subject. I don’t think there’s any wrong or right way as long as it fits to each person’s needs/schedules/personalities/etc. – it’s just a fun thing to think about.