My mother started making quilts and had made my older son one and I absolutely loved it. I decided I could do that so I looked at the one she made him with a tape measure and came up with my own. It was horsehead blocks with log cabin type design around them It was cut out with scissors length of grain, seams pressed open(that's how regular sewing was)and matched every thread to the actual material being used.((giggle giggle)) To think of it now the "Quilt Police" would have had a Hay day..
Since then,I have had one friend show me how to paper piece and other than that, ask lots of questions, read and trial and error.