Hello! I'm Cherri House of Cherry House Quilts, the author of City Quilts, and the designer of the quilt along that is being widely discussed. Is your question, why do my instructions called for all those 1 1/2" squares vs. strip piecing? Because many of the quilters doing this quilt along are creating their first quilt. I'm all for doing things faster/quicker, but there is nothing wrong with knowing and working on the fundamentals...perfecting your 1/4" seam allowance, working on accurate cutting skills. This quilt along is part of a skill building series that I will be hosting. If you want to participate, great! If it's all too elementary and you are not interested, great. Above everything else, I created this free quilt pattern and quilt along to provide a sense of community, and followship amongst quilters - old & new.
Cherri