Yes...take classes! I've been mostly self-taught due to health issues and have been quilting for 7 or 8 years. I have taken several technique courses and just yesterday took a 4 session basic quilting class. I learned enough to feel the price was worth it. Some thing s you just need to see done and be able to ask questions about. The class was fun, I was able to answer some questions for other quilters, I got a few new ideas for gadgets and new ways to do things. Not everything was a plus, I will not continue to pin baste leaving the safety pins open, I will go back to using quilt spray, but that's ok. There are a million different ways to do everything and it's really fun to see some of them.