If you do not want to use magazines all the time, try going into the website www.quilterscache.com and in their dropdown menu is a place that says blocks galore or something like that and there are plenty of block patterns with instructions to help you get a handle on how to make different blocks. It tells you how easy or difficult they are by the little symbols on the side of each block pattern and what kind of method is used. You can also look them up by size of block you want to make.