It is not cheating, especially to us McDonald's quilters. The pretty panels are no different then fabric with pretty print on it.

I have made several with panels in the center.

I'm making a promise to myself - will lasso DH into helping post pictures this weekend. I think you will like the panel quilt I'm working on right now.

The prettiest one I have seen is where the quilter put drunkards path blocks around it. I think there's even a book on different ways to use the drunkards path block.