My take on quilting is this: in centuries past, most women made quilts from what they had to serve a need. They weren't concerned with posterity, just functionality. I'm sure there were artists then, too, who had time and energy to create art. So, if your goal is to create something that will hang in a museum and last for eons, it makes sense to follow the "rules" and do it right. But the majority of us don't have that goal. I just gave my first-ever quilt to my nephew, and I told his mom in no uncertain terms that I expected it to be ruined. Picnics, forts, sleepovers, whatever a little boy can imagine to do with a quilt is fine by me. While I hope he doesn't decide to take a match to it, I can make more.
It's a shame that some quilters take the joy of creating away from others with their rules. Do what makes you happy, it's a blanket, for Pete's sake. AS much as I would love to be able to create some of the works of art I see, I don't have that kind of talent. So I just make what I can with what I can afford, and enjoy learning as I go.