Hi, Sheryl, and congratulations on your first grandchild! How exciting! If you already know how to sew and have a machine, you'll catch on to quilting pretty fast. Do you have a quilt shop nearby where you could take a beginner class? It really helps to see things up close with a teacher in person when learning the basics. YouTube is good for filling in gaps or being able to replay at your leisure once you've got some class time under your belt.
There are many ways to do appliqué but it's not typically taught to a brand new quilter until you learn rotary cutting techniques, master the 1/4" seam (which is the standard seam allowance in this craft), familiarize yourself with basic piecing and block assembly, sandwiching, quilting, and binding. I'm not saying you can't start with applique--heck, no-- but it's one of those skills that is normally learned after the nuts and bolts of quilting.
I'm in Maryland, by the way. You?