I hear you; remember feeling exactly as you described the overwhelming sense of so many terms and expectations that you had a working knowledge to start the first quilt. I "lurked" here for quite a while, watched quilting shows on t.v., and went to my 1st local quilt show. There I talked with one of the participating quilt shops and got super advice from the owner about selecting the proper pattern for a beginner. Haven't stopped quilting since (going on 1 1/2 yrs of quilting and hoping for many more). I did a quilt called "strip cocktail" for my 1st. Best of luck to you!