all these suggestions are so good I got a book a few years back that I still see sround and it's qyuilting 101 a beginners guide to quilting it helped me with tools to use and it has patterns it is a real step by step for a beginner...quilters TV has been just a wonderful thing to watch and see how easy it is to do certain steps that I would other wide not even attempt...Alex Anderson books are great for beginners to....and if she can take a basic quilting 101 in her local quilt shop thats really the best way...hands on...