Hi and welcome from a former New Yorker, now in New Hampshire.
Placemats were the first quilting item I made.
I began a quilt thereafter with fabric I didn't like (not wanting to make mistakes on "good" fabric) - don't do it - a mistake, I hated looking at it as I worked and never finished it.
I don't know where Jamestown is in relation to Gloversville or Ravena. Diana Marshall's Gloversville Sewing Ctr and Londa Van Derzee's Log Cabin Quilting are both great shops with good classes.
Londa and Diana are wonderful women and great quilters.
http://www.logcabinfabrics.net
http://www.gloversvillesewingcenter.com
Every other year there's an Empire Quiltfest show somewhere near Albany - good show, vendors and classes. Last one was 2009, so there should be one in 2011.
My son has a place near Hudson, I drive over to take my granddaughter, a new quilter, to the show.
We have a wonderful time and she gets to see work other than mine.