Jinny Beyer has a great book on hand piecing a quilt. It has a lot of helpful information especially for a beginner. I really learned a lot from reading it. I also got her 'Perfect Piecer.' It is a template that you can hold in your hand to mark the perfect 1/4 " seam on any piece you are sewing, as it has all the angles represented. I highly recommend getting it! I hope this helps. Janis