I started quilting before all the bells and whistles. I remember finding a box of precut squares at Woolworths - they were 4 inch squares and made a patchwork quilt large enough for Queen size bed and still had a lot left. I think it cost $5.00 and I was in heaven. Even though the fabric wasn't the best - I didn't have to cut it. Obviously it was something that was done to remnants. My friend and I did applique and we thought the idea of using freezer paper was genius. They did have templates you could buy to draw around when I started in the late 70's, so I made a Grand Mother's Flower garden. But mostly I embroidered squares for baby quilts and then sashed them together.