This is supposed to be a hobby! Do whatever you want to do and don't worry about the "shoulda, coulda, wouldas". Do what you want to do, whatever appears to you.

At 57 you are NOT too old to learn. I'm 72 and still learning. As a matter of fact, I learn a lot by daily readings of this site.

I have gone to the library so many time and checked out just about every quilting book to make copies of the things I like. Plus I go through every website I can find free patterns (especially blocks) for ideas. This will allow you to determine what you truly like and then alter as you see you vision unfold. I love many of the sampler quilts but never the whole design (probably just me!).
Good luck. You make what you like then show the rest of us, please be ready to have a pattern ready for us to follow as I am sure many will love your 'new' design.
Evelyn

If you are too old at 57, at 75 I probably should give up! Never, never, never say you are too old to do anything, not even sky diving (which I choose not to do but which one of my friends my age did) froggyintexas

There is definitely NO reason to feel less because you follow a pattern. The main reason I don't is because I have trouble doing so. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and the point is to find joy in what you do and if you WANT to try other things, then do it for the fun and challenge, but never because you think you have to or SHOULD.
I have fun playing with patterns on graph paper. I don't even use a calculator, as that would just complicate things and confuse me. LOL. The graph squares help me determine size, because they can represent any size square based on what you assign to them. That then helps with figuring borders, piano keys, block sizes and all the rest. I generally start by drawing the finished size I am going for, based on using an even number of squares for the size block I want to make. IE: For a 9 Patch throw, using 4" squares= 12" block; four x five 12" blocks + borders= throw size. Cut squares 4.5" to finish at 4". For a D9P, add wider or extra border to make up for size lost in extra seaming. TA DAAAAA..... a pattern!
Or draw your outside dimensions, then take the parts you like from other quilts and simply block out areas for them within the space allowed. It's a good idea to first graph each area you want to use seperately so you know how much space is needed and how you might need to adjust each one to fit them all together.
If you would like to see some of the patterns I have made on graph paper, I would be happy to share them. That would probably show better than me trying to explain. LOL

There is NOTHING wrong with the way you sew quilts. Completion to me means a lot, so I get pleasure out of the completed project. However, I have never used a "bought" pattern. I pick a block that I like for the fabric selections, so it might be something like a 8"snowball block. Then I figure how big I want the quilt... say a full size. That's about 80 x 90. Then I divide the size of block (8") into the 80" (L) and you get 10 blocks. So 10 - 8" blocks will be the length. Then I divide the size of block (8") into 90" 9(w) and I get 11. So the width will be 11 - 8" blocks. So its 10 blocks x 11 blocks. Since there is a 1/4" seam the cut block will be 8 1/2 square for all squares. Finished block will be 8" square. For sashing you would have to add that amount to the block and/or add sashing to the top and bottom amount to the block. This will be something simple for you to handle and I am sure you can do it. The small squares that fit into each snowball corner are 2 1/2 each (4 per block - 1 for each corner).
Have fun experimenting.

Oh oh, I forgot to tell how many 8 1/2" blocks to cut. 10x11 (10rows by 11 columns of 8 1/2' blocks. So you multiply 10x11=110. So you will cut 110 (maybe a few extra) 8 1/2" blocks. 110 blocks that need 2 1/2 square in each corner. So you would multiply 110 x 4 = 440 small squares. 1 jelly roll strip will give you 17 small squares. (43"/2.5"). 16 small squares if the jelly roll strip is 42". So if you need 440 small squares - divide that by 16 and you will have the amount of jelly roll strips that are needed. 440/16=27 or if jelly roll is 43" then it would be 440/17=25.
Hope this is clearer than mud.

I have to say that I seem to do better at making a quilt from my own pattern than following another's pattern... The gals who are in my quilt group with me think its too funny that I am like that! They say it seems harder to them to make up your own quilt pattern, I just say that I seem to do better following my own designs because I know my own "crazy"...lol... I will get out my notebook and start figuring, and as far as using algebra, I never seem to use it, just regular math, including fractions...now, sometimes those can get me, but then I get dh to help me...he is the "math whiz"...
Good luck to you,
Kif