Which comes first?

The fabric or the pattern?

For me, it's neither. Not that I don't have a stash, nor is it that I don't buy patterns. I am wildly successful at accumulating both. But the missing link in most cases is the inspiration.  That may sound weird, since many people buy a pattern because it inspires them, or a particular fabric because it has value.

I get a pattern because I want to learn something from it. A particular method or technique or design element I have not seen before. In fact, many of the items I've made never really stay true to the pattern. Even before I buy it I'm already thinking about how I can 'make it better'. I may make a muslin to test out a pattern, but otherwise it's all too common for me to make alterations.

It's somewhat the same with fabric. I buy something because it feels good against my skin, or the color evokes something, but usually when I walk out the store I can see the general category, a skirt, or a blouse, or a jacket. But the actual design is usually not yet formed.

What about you? Does an idea drive what you actually create? Or is it a pattern or a piece of your stash?