There are some great teachers out there. Early on, I took a hand quilting class from a wonderful teacher and got the basics down. I could have never done it without "hitting the ground running". Not that I am that great but know I have done my best...whatever that is. Or, even YouTube these days. What I thought was not good enough in the beginning actually isn't that bad anyway. Also, I use a large hoop sometimes but find the great big ones too cumbersome.