Yes, that's the way I began. If you had a cereal box you had template material. A lead pencil marked the templates and also the quilting lines. Sewed on a treadle sewing machine and set up a quilting frame made of four 1x2 long boards that were clamped together and set on homemade legs. Hand sewing needles were whatever was in your pincushion or if you were lucky some business gave our a packet of needles. Your thimble was likely inherited from your grandma. Lots of sweet memories but I sure like the new methods!