Renee, your post came at the perfect time for me! Like you, when I took my first quilting class about 2 years ago, I hadn't done any sewing for maybe 35 years and wasn't an expert then. Since then I have made 4 quilts and each one takes me along time, but I enjoy it. Even do my own FMQ.
BUT, whenever I try some small, cute project, it seems to take forever and barely turns out OK. Just this past week I decided to make an apron and matching pot holders for a friend. Surprisingly, the apron went pretty fast and turned out pretty well. Then for the rest of the week, I have been fighting with those pot holders! Unbelievable! Apparently, I can put binding on an 80X80 inch quilt and can't do it on a 9 inch potholder! Anyway, finished them today after using packaged bias tape instead of matching fabric. Thanks for the post and everyone else's responses. I feel better. (Sorry for the rant)