I really think it is funny that we think we don't have to read the directions. I am a newbie and I, so far, read the directions. Of course, the first quilt I started, I looked in a book, I saw a pattern I really liked, but I thought I needed to simplify the pattern. Well, how do you follow the directions when you've decided to delete 2 or 3 elements of the q2uilt? I cut out most of the pieces. Put together several blocks and was just ready to sew the fourth block on. Uh Oh!!! The third block pieces did not line up with the other two blocks. I still haven't figured out how I did that.
Needless to say, I suddenly had another quilt, an easier pattern that I decided to make before I go back to the other one. The second one is working fine so far, except that I had to order more fabric so I can replace a block I didn't cut correctly.
I am now trying to figure out what happened to the first quilt and what I have to do to get the rest of it together correctly. Hope I am successful.