Why not try looking in your local thrift shops for garments that you can cut up to practice on. They cost very little money and its surprising the amount of fabric you can get out of a few garments . Ive been quilting only a couple of years, and so far it hasnt cost me a fortune in fabric!
I find that a good place to look for easy patterns is here .....
http://www.quilterscache.com/QuiltBlocksGalore.html
I hope you find something you like!
Karen xx