I agree with several ladies: read your manual, play and practice on scraps, and learn how make an accurate 1/4" seam. When you are familiar with your machine, choose a smaller easy project first.

I started out as a hand sewer, too. Welcome aboard!

Also, I just purchased my first new machine so I feel right there with you. There are videos available for some new machines which I found far more helpful than the manual. You may be surprised at what you can do with all that hand sewing experience----it really comes in handy on advanced quilting projects. Every new machine has a learning curve as you get comfortable with it. Give yourself some grace and you'll do great.

Welcome aboard to both the boards and to machine sewing.

If you will be quilting, our standard seam is 1/4" which seemed impossibly tiny to me when I started with a background in clothing construction.

Other than working with that seam allowance, my big advice is to change your needles often. If you ever hear your machine going pooka-pooka that means your needle is beyond dull and is punching holes in your fabric.

The internet is such a wonderful resource, not just manuals and helpful people but actual pictures and videos. We've got all sorts of people here at all sorts of skill levels and all sorts of areas of expertise, quilting and other! Glad to have you join us.

Hello, GwensBlaze! I am new here, as well! But everyone is so helpful, it is quite touching. My best advice in learning to sew is this: Be patient with yourself. Focus on the small successes, and soon they will increase more and more. Just enjoy the process. Everyone has different parts they enjoy the most. Some love the machines, themselves. Others love the feel of the fabric. Some live the colors. Some love the cutting. Others love the sewing. Some like the quilting. Others love the giving or using of the handmade treasure. Some have several parts that they love. You will find what you love the most! With time, you learn to maximize that aspect. It really is quite a fun process to sew anything if you don’t expect to be perfect right From the start. Even experienced sexist make mistakes, they just learn how to deal with them. Enjoy!

Welcome from Southern California. The best tip I can give is to take things slowly, going step-by-step instead of trying to rush ahead. You'll find lots of help here, and you have a whole new world of fun, excitement and accomplishment ahead of you.