my first quilt was done one winter night a loooong time ago when I was so bored I went to my sewing room and dug up a bag of fabric squares I had bought at a garage sale that past summer and started sewing them together......using a 5/8"seam (from clothing sewing....) I was so please with the final "thing" I went out the next day and bought some fabric for the border, sewed it on and took it next door to my neighbor who was a prolific quilter....she saw that I was hooked and with a smile on her face, gave me a chunk of batting and told me to tie it with yarn...I went home, did that, was not happy (to much space in-between knots so I took button thread and did what is now called a "primitive" quilting stitch on diagonals between those yarn knots.....and that was 20+ yrs ago....I still have it, still put it on a bed occasionally.....my second one was more controlled...by that time I have obtained some quilting books, tools and decided on trying a pattern...Did Lady in the Lake...handquilted...showed how to by my dear neighbor and a few years later submitted it to a local quilt show and won first place for hand quilting.......that is my first footsteps into this wonderful world of quilting........I have never regretted started......it has been an excellent therapy for my life.....good times and bad...saved my sanity.........I do believe.......