And I'll welcome you from Iowa! I am also a newbie...just now found the time to sit and read some of these forums. And a new quilter...just since January of this year. I'm an "old style" quilter...tie them instead of machine quilting. And so far 9 patch, a simple windmill, and strip quilts are all I've done. Each one I do I love the most! LOL! Sorry to sneak into your post to introduce myself, but not sure how to start my own.