I got a Keepsake Quilting catalogue in the mail, having never quilted before. I earned a lot of money doing garment sewing and alterations in college and on college breaks, so transition was easy (presspresspress, mind your seam allowances, eliminate bulk, no cutting corners on construction quality, and experiment and have fun).
I was self-taught until I returned to the States (we were overseas with the State Department when I got my catalogue), and then I watched Simply Quilts religiously. I didn't discover quilt guilds until almost 12 years later, and they introduced me to local quilt shops when we retired.