Thanks for the input, Cherri, and for answering the question. I'm a fan of yours, and a sometimes blog reader, and honestly, my question implied no snark, nor was it specific to your quilt-along alone. I was querying about a wider trend I've seen online.
I'm all for building fundamental skills in new quilters. I also know that many, particularly new quilters, get frustrated with something that takes a long time, requires precision and ripping out, etc. The vast quantities of UFOs in the quilting world supports the assumption that this is a problem for many. So to my mind, knowing how to do something quickly and efficiently is a great gateway to many happy years of quilting.
Thanks for your contributions to community amongst quilters online. I do love the web and the ability to connect with such a wide range of people with similar interests.
RS