Some will sew in quadrants ... for example a quilt of 8 blocks x 8 blocks they will sew 4 sets of 4 blocks together then join them.
Some quilts almost define themselves as to the easiest way to join the blocks (bargello as a prime example, mixed size block sampler as another), but most can be done any way as long as you are consistent.
After you join sets (whether it be an entire row, or quadrants), measure during each step. So two rows of 16" (finished size) blocks joined together should measure 32.5". 3 rows will measure 48.5 - etc.