Clearly Nokie you are going to fit in here nicely. So many questions never enough time and ideas running amuck.
Rotary cutters do take a little practice but you will find them a huge time saver and keep your peices more precise. Take it slow and use every safety precaution you can (they have a nasty bite). There are many sites on the internet that have great sales for stash building. Sew some of the hotel fabric together and give it a wash see what happens. Remember what our pioneers used for quilts and how adored they are now.
Keep asking questions and please show us some of your results, there is lots of praise waiting for you here.