Really, to start off sewing quilts, a regular sewing machine would work fine. That's how I learned for a few years. But I didn't quilt them. I pieced the blocks together only, which is probably what you need to learn first. After you learn the basics, then you'll know what you want in a sewing machine and if you want to try and quilt your own quilts, which I guess a lot of people like to do (not me) here. But a regular machine will work just fine to get your started. You don't have to have anything special. It's nice to have all the bells and whistles...but that can wait a bit. Learn to put together a quilt first and make sure you enjoy it. Make sure you enjoy shopping for fabric and putting fabrics together to make a quilt. Some people, I don't know any of them, don't like the process of making a quilt, so make sure you do before you spend your money on a sewing machine that costs quite a bit of money. From what I gather, you can get one at Walmart for a little over $100 to begin sewing and the people who own them seem happy with them. That's what I'd do. My first machine was a beginner. Very basic. Had it 20 years. Just gave it to my daughter for her to learn to quilt with.