My first was a Shoo-Fly. Very easy. Also an Ohio Star is easy. When I started quilting I purchased a book from Fons & Porter "The Complete Quilting Book". It starts you out from point A to B and has info that I still go back and look at and I've been quilting for 15 yrs. Its my bible. I used it so much that I even had a spinal binding put on it to lay it out flat.
Here's a site of free patterns:
http://www.quilt.com/