Welcome from SE Michigan. I have been quilting now for more than 30 years and have loved every bit of it. There is always something new to learn and even more ways to express yourself in the fabrics. Nothing can stop me! The rotary cutter and cutting mats have been some of the greatest tools to come my way. My oldest sister (21 years older than me) tried her best to teach me using templates but to no avail. Put me with a rotary cutter and Bam... I could do just about anything and now with the Accuquilt system for cutting fabrics I am stretching my skills even further.
Of course there are times when I still make mistakes. A good reason for a sample block before starting into unexplored territory is to insure success with a quilt.
There are no quilt police. There is an old saying, "the only perfect quilter is God!" On many quilts you will find an intentional "mistake". I opened a couple doors for others to become quilters and several have exceeded my abilities and that tickles me to death.
I would be glad to talk with you off line and even share a few of my quilts. 90% of my quilts have been gifted to family and friends. Some of those early quilts leave much to be desired. Now my quilts are keepsakes for my family and friends.
Keep up your research for this paper. There are thousands of fantastic quilters here and others that can walk you through some of the mechanics.
On that note again welcome to the QB!