Beginner quilers need easy patterns to learn the process. Once you know how a blocks goes together, it can be easy to do a block without buying a pattern.
BUT you have to make a lot of different quilt blocks to determine how the block is constructed. Once you determine that, some quilts may not require you buying the pattern.
Have to admit I look at lots of pic of finished quilts on varioius web sites, save the pics because I like them, want to make them someday, and have figured out the block.
Down size? Always buy way too much fabric.