margecam52

If you have a library near you...go and take out a couple books on quilting. A good one is Weekend Quilts...these are very basic designs and well written.
It's one of the first books I bought & I still use it. Can you make the first quilt in a weekend? Probably not, but the technique is basic and I especially love the Single Irish Chain...it's a basic nine patch block, with a solid block in checkerboard pattern.

My first quilt was made with 4" squares I cut out with scissors, using a cardboard template. The fabrics were sleeves from my hubby's shirts (he does not like long sleeves even now, 44 years later, LOL)...and clothes and shirts from family. This was a simple quilt for our first child...before she was born. I sewed two squares, set it aside, sewed two more, set them aside...until I had enough to make a crib size quilt. I then took two of the sewn pairs & sewed them together...my seams didn't always match, but it went together, I put an old crib blanket in as the batting, and another crib blanket as the backing. This was all sewn together by hand. I used the binding off each blanket to bind the quilt (both were white, but didn't quite match). I tied the blanket with yarn. My Sis in Laws mom also made the same kind of quilt...but with smaller squares & only a flannel back. I loved them both, and Cori used them until the feel apart. Cori didn't have a crib after 7 mos...she rocked it to pieces...so she slept in a playpen with those two quilts, mine over the pad, and Aunt Annie's as her cover. We didn't have much money...so that was the main part of her bedding for the first two years. Friends and family donated clothes and diapers (yep, cloth diapers)...Cori came home in a little boys outfit, from her cousin Ronnie. I was just happy to have them.
I'm in the process of making quilts for my great grandbaby (due in Feb2013), and four others due from Jan-March 2013...I am also making bibs, embroidering shirts, etc. We already bought the crib for the baby...all new crib...not one from a yard sale. That to my grand daughter ws very important.

But, back to the topic...YES, you can do a quilt. Don't let anyone tell you that it has to be quilt store fabric, or perfectly sewn. You want to strive for perfection, but it's not necessary at first. It takes a lot of practice to be good.

I took one class...and it's been my saving grace many times. I had to draw my blocks out on graph paper, transfer them to template plastic, cut out the pieces and hand sew them. I learned to not sew into the seam allowances, how to match the seams, etc. The blocks I did were a nine patch, rail fence, fan, drunkard's path, pinwheel, flying geese...and all were sashed with corner stones and a border put on. I hand quilted & bound it by hand. My quilt stitches were bigger than I wanted...but that quilt, to me, was beautiful!
So, if you can, take a basic piecing class..try to find one like I took...learn the basics of hand piecing...and everything you learn in that class will work for machine piecing/quilting.