I'm also semi-new to quilting. I have made a couple of wallhanging quilts and used the SITD (stitch in the ditch). It's the easiest for me. Make sure you're using your walking foot and go SLOW. I found on my last quilt, my SITD turned out a lot better because I was going slower. You are a lot braver than I am by using the S pattern. I hope this helps a little.