All design starts with a grid, it is the basis on which shapes and forms are governed, placed, manipulated and distorted–always with reference to the scope and scale of the original framework. The grid is rarely obvious at first sight but it informs the project and holds it, allowing flexibility but preventing it from descending into chaos.
In textile design, the overall size of the pattern repeat on the cloth forms the largest grid, which will them be subdivided into smaller grids, within which the pattern, however random it might appear, is controlled.