I'm really not very good at picking my own fabrics...the ladies in the shop I frequent are very helpful when I need it. I have bought a few kits when they were on sale, and have had no problem with putting them together. I don't buy pre-cut as I like to cut my own. When I first started quilting/sewing, the JoAnn's kits were very helpful as they were pre-cut, and although my sewing was not the greatest, they turned out ok, and I learned a lot about piecing.