Throw out the practice sandwiches and stencils. Layer a kid- or pet-sized quilt and just meander. You can start with drawing the pattern on a piece of paper if you want, but after a few tries throw that out and just get to stitching. You'll learn more on an actual project than on a practice piece because a) it's bigger, and b) you can't just throw it out after a few minutes. It's like an extended practice session, after which you'll have a good feel for how things move and what to do to get your stitches right.
Once you have that it's a much shorter jump to quilt patterns.