I've never been very good at following directions, so I design most of my little quilts myself. I just start in the middle and work out! After I get an idea, I use graph paper to work out the sizes of the pieces -- especially if I'm making a quilt for AAQI, which has to be 12" by 9" max. Sometimes I use a designer's pattern for inspiration, but usually veer off from it at some point!
Go for it!