When I was in high school we sold a cookbook for home ec (back in the olden days) as a fund raiser, and it was spiral bound so it lays flat on the counter. The fund raiser organizer challenged us to determine why it was spiral bound before telling us the reason, and someone suggested it was bound such so that the crumbs would fall out of the book!
What a great suggestion tho, thanks to all for the great hints, tips and other discoveries! That's what I love about quilters - they don't treat their short cuts as proprietary information, but are always willing to help others.