Hello and welcome from Southern California! Your first quilt came out great and now you've caught the "bug". You will learn so much from this Board. Never be afraid to ask a question, there are wonderful quilters here who are always ready to share their knowledge. So sorry for the loss of your dear friend. At some point, as your skills increase, you may want to make a tribute quilt. I'm planning one for our dear kitty who passed away early this year. She was 15.