I'm new to this forum. I learned to quilt by myself. My daughter worked with a friend Debbie whose son was in Iraq. She hadn't heard from him in over a month and she cried all the time worrying about him. I was in the store and saw a flag magazine on a McCalls Quilts and decided I would make it for her. It was my first attempt at quilting. My binding was allot to be desired. Today it is in her entry way under spot lights. Since then I have spent my entire tax refund on fabric. I have so much that my daughter says when she needs something she shops at moms. Lucky me, my girls helped me purchase a Gammill Premier long arm quilting machine for Mothers Day in 2007. My oldest daughter has been bitten by the quilting bug. It's nice to be in such good company!