as a beginner, I'd suggest you contact local quilt guilds to find out if they have beginner classes. Like someone said, even if you would not be making modern quilts, you'd be getting the techniques to do the quilts you want. Our guild teachers rotary cutting, strips sets, half square triangles, flying geese (stitch and flip technique), sewing a curved seam, sashing, borders, Domestic machine (regular sewing machine) quilting and binding. With those techniques you can make almost any quilt other than paper piecing or applique. I'd suggest you also 'google' Modern Quilt Guild for listing of any of their affiliates in your area.