I made a top last year using one of Bonnie Hunter's Leaders and Enders pattern that she has posted for free on her website. Here is a link to my post last year with pictures.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...lt-t95998.html
I also just finished another top a couple weeks ago that was mostly pieced as leaders and enders. I generally use 2 1/2" squares and keep a stack of darks and a stack of lights near my machine. I do chain piecing, but whenever I do need to end my chain, I just grab a pair of squares and run them through. Once I have a stack of sewn sets, I'll press them then position them for sewing into 4-patches. When I have enough for a quilt, I'll add my other blocks or whatever is needed.
You could also do this with any top you want to piece, for instance, if you wanted to do a scrappy log cabin, you could cut the pieces and keep them by your machine to use a leaders and enders while piecing other quilts. Before you know it, you have quite a few of your blocks done.
I LOVE Bonnie's website and check in there often. She also has a blog and a Yahoo group.