Good advice here! Most of my tips have already been given. My only other advice is to mark lightly and make sure you have good light. There's nothing so heartbreaking as marks that won't come out.
When you start quilting, have the needle perpendicular to the quilt. If it goes straight in, the stitch on the back will be almost the same size as the front. Not that I would worry about the back right now - get the hang of stitching, first.
Janet