1/4 inch seams are used to cut down on bulky intersections. Doing a simple 4 or 9 patch with 1/2 inch seams would be fine but try doing a star where 8 seams meet in the center! If all you want to do is simple patterns with large pieces you should be fine with 1/2 inch seams BUT if you want to continue to grow in your quilting adventure and try more complex patterns, you need to use 1/4 consistent seams in my opinion.