update: I used to start in the middle, but now I always grid my fabric - with a special pen or with special thread. So now I always start in the upper left corner
It depends on the pattern. If it’s a smaller pattern, I tend to start in the middle. With larger patterns like my Heaven and Earth Designs, I like to start in the top left and work down and over. Thee only exception to this is the Lord Commander HAED I’m working on now. I chose to start on the page of the pattern that has his face in it. The pattern only has about 16 colors, so I wanted some instant satisfaction.