Birth of a Quilting Project

I recently was thinking about how I approach a quilting project. Some people look through their stash and create a design in their mind with the fabric they have before them. Others see a pattern they like and choose their fabric according to the ones used in the pattern. I think my sister and fellow quilting cousin Susan is the most creative person I know as far as having the ability to quickly match fabrics together and being able to envision what they will look like combined. She reminds me of a woman I took my first quilting class from. She was an artistic person and when we went out into the store to pick our fabrics for our quilts we were going to make, she kept saying, "Let the fabrics speak to you." I listened as hard as I could but they didn't make a sound. I really envy Susan's ability to look at a piece of fabric and envision it in a project. Picking the right fabrics for me is agonizing. My projects always start with a pattern or an idea. Then I choose a color scheme. It usually takes me forever to find that first main piece, the piece I will build my project around. At this time I have 3 projects I want to get started on. I'm trying to find those magic fabric pieces to get started. I really get frustrated when I first start out so if any of you have any tips for me, please send them to me. In the meantime I have posted some projects I recently completed. One are placemats I made for my daughter Allison as a housewarming gift. The other is Joanie's quilt and then I made my granddaughter Madison and her American girl doll matching raincoats and hats. The fabric I used for the raincoats is vinyl coated and sold and Walmart and the fabric stores. It's cheaper at Walmart. It's sold as for making baby bibs and diaper changing pads. It is great for raincoats for kids. It's easy to sew with and comes in a wide width so you don't need as much fabric. I used a cotton print for a contrast on the cuffs and brim of the hat. I hope you will all share your ideas with us on how you get started with your projects and maybe offer some hints for those of us who need help. Don't forget to click on our quilt icon to see my new projects.