One year's subscription would be enough if you subscribe to a good magazine. By then you will have learnt all the basics and most magazines start to repeat themselves. I find it better to invent my own. If you have trouble with math, all you have to do is buy grid paper and cut it to your finished block size and then draw all the bits on the grid paper. Remember to add seam allowances and you're done. One of the other members mentioned the free block of the month on Craftsy.com. It is a good place for a beginner to start. You get class notes to download as well.