"Why in Earth would you ever do it that way? " when you are following a pattern. Seems to me that sometimes they stick an extra step here or there for absolutely no reason. Maybe it's just the way they have always done it or maybe I just have a problem following directions but I do one square the way they say and then one leaving out the redundant part and they are identical.

Half of the patterns I have made over the past year, I read the directions and say what???

i can't follow my own directions, let alone anybody else's. :lol:

I have a book on over 250 blocks and in their directions each piece is cut out individually and sewn back together. For some patterns that's all well and good, but tell me why would I want to individually piece a 9 patch together instead of sewing strips then cutting??

I agree!!! lol

I think many patterns, particularity books that have been in publication for awhile, the blocks are put together piece by piece, in the old way. Until the mid 80s or so there were not the rulers and cutters we have now. We are so fortunate in our choice of notions today. I've been quilting for close to 35 years and I started with paper/cardboard templates, scissors, thread and graph paper. Would I go back, NO!LOL! :lol: But there are still the purists out there who love the old way of hand cutting, piecing and quilting their quilts. In many ways those old directions were easier to follow!

I have a lot of books like that. I started quilting early 80s, every piece was cut out individually. Rotary cutters weren't used that much. I bought my first rotary cutter in 1985, to make a trip around the world, cutting and sewing strips, that is all we used the rotary cutter for. That was considered very innovative then. LOL

Then you have us folk who save every scrap! LOL I piece lots of 9 patches and 4 patches one square at a time from my scrap bins!

I also predate the rotary cutter etc. The patterns I hate are the ones for applique that don't break the pieces down. You open the package and all you have is a line drawing of the finished motif. You have to figure out in what order to assemble the pieces and what gets tucked under what. If I open the package and that is what is inside I don't even try to use it.

You think maybe lot of the cutting and construction methods are changed so the designer can call it her own?

I have "remade" an older pattern to suit my needs, using short cuts or combining smaller pieces. I look at the blocks and decide what will work best for me. When we were first doing the BOM's here, members would show alternative piecing/cutting, and it was a real eye opener for me. :D:D:D