What a nice thing to do is pass on your love of quilting. As for fabric....Think outside the box...cotton shirts that are no longer loved. I've seen many quilts made with men and women's cotton dress shirts. Blue jeans if not too thick are fun. If you have a local guild to contact, they may have fabric and notions to donate or machines to lend. I learned to quilt making place mats or if smaller projects are needed...a mug rug.