Go into a quilt shop and ask one of the ladies for a lesson on how to select fabric. That was one of my favorite things to do when I worked in a quilt shop. They will walk you through the things to look for and the do's and don'ts of selecting fabric. Make sure you pick a time when the store isn't lined up at the fabric counter, you can even call ahead and ask when a good time would be. It will be a wonderful lesson for you.