Use a free chopstick as a stiletto.
Use Half of a wooden clothes pin as a wooden iron.
Teflon baking sheet is the same as a teflon applique sheet.
Place your small seamripper, point up, in a thread spool to separate long chains of blocks.
If you don't have a lightbox, use a windowpane on a sunny day, a light under a glass table, a light in a drawer with glass on top, your plexiglass extension table on machine with light underneath. (light could be a small push light)
Lots of free block and quilt patterns on internet. Free Books at library and your guild library.