Hi, Welcome to the board!
I am one of the "wash before cutting" people. I have had enough unpleasant surprises with bleeding and/or shrinking to make it worth the effort to me. I also prefer a flatter look.
Washing the fabric and batting (if washable before being quilted) is as important to me as using a seatbelt while riding in a car.
Now I might sound like Patty Party Pooper - but I have made enough "what was I thinkings?" to be aware of some things that you might not have though of -
If you are planning to use clamshells or hexagons, I strongly recommend that you make a practice piece - like a placemat - before you cut up all your fabric.
Do you have any small all-over prints or solids to play/practice with? They read as "color" from a distance and do not require fussy cutting.
The turquoise fabric is pretty - I made a a couple of totes from scraps from that fabric and it's coordinates - but to me it requires fussy cutting and/or awareness of the pattern. I think it is "tricky" to cut randomly.
I love the airplane fabric - but I would try to keep it intact and use it as a backing - and then use the airplane side as the top!
As far as sewing machines - for piecing all one needs is a machine that does a decent straight stitch and feeds the fabric evenly and straight.