I also am new to quilting and have jumped in feet first. However, if you have never quilted I agree with the other advise to try something smaller and less important and practice. I have a lot of sewing experience and other crafty stuff as well. But I can honestly say that the way things flow now compared to the way they did the first day I picked up a quilt fabric is amazing. In the beginning everything felt foreign and out of place, from the thread to matching squares. I had tons of questions and the wonderful people on this board were always eager to give advise suggestions and guidance. Practice on something else and get more comfortable. Even if you don't want to go through the steps of quilting one from scratch buy a small piece of the fabric already quilted and practice with it.
Have fun and enjoy it
Diane