I think part of it is that when you put it on a bed, you do not use it as a bedspread that you fold over the pillows. It is laid across the bed with decorative pillow shams on top. I would make fairly square twin bed size quilts for the kids in college dorm rooms. They lay across the bed but hung a bit further on the sides and covered the storage areas under their slightly higher beds. This also made a good size for them to grab to take when they had outdoor activities but still small enough that they were easily laundered.