feline fanatic

I highly recommend "Learning to Quilt - A Beginners Guide"

http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Quilt.../dp/1574867202

Lisa_wanna_b_quilter

I did a sampler quilt first. I just went to Quilter's Cache and looked up 12 inch blocks that were marked as beginner.

melodylamour

I would suggest the library or Cultural Center if You have one. They are good sources for quilting books very cheaply. The library lets you keep them for 3 weeks. Most libraries now have a used book store inside them. I've picked up quilting books and quilting magazines there for $1 or less. The Cultural Center here used to sell used quilt magazines for .10 cents a piece......hence the reason I have over 200 magazines and over 70 quilt books now.

carrieg

This is the book my LQS uses for their beginning quilting class. Let's see, friendship star, log cabin, rail fence, flying geese - I think there were 6 blocks.

watterstide

Block Central has some nice sampler blocks.
http://www.blockcentral.com/index.shtml

pick out the 12 inch ones..

about in the center of this page, is
Pieced Quilt Block Patterns,listed by name and size.

http://www.blockcentral.com/quiltblocks.shtml

watterstide

this is a great site too..
http://quilting.about.com/od/quiltpa...lock-Patterns/

"About - quilting" i get thier newsletter, alot of info for new and not so new quilters..
they cover everything related to quilting,from cutting,colors,seam allowances..sewing machines etc..

GrammaNancy

I just checked out "Quilter's Cache" wow! Now I will never get anything done, i just want to try one of each..... :D

Rose Marie

Borders has clearances on quilting books fairly often. Thats where I got my Better Homes and Gardens Complete Guide to Quilting for 5.98.
Any of the Quilt In A Day books are great for learning the easiest methods to use.
http://quilterstv.com
is great for free videos.

raptureready

Any sampler would be good for beginners as long as there are no Y seams, curved seams or really complicated blocks. The trick is to find that gray area between "so complicated I'm going give up" and "too easy, I'm bored to death"

skibum

I can refer you to Alex Anderson's 3rd.edition of Start Quilting. I teach a very beginning quilting class in which I teach the rail fence block, then move on to the other blocks in the book in the next series of classes.
This book is very concise, easy to follow, and very basic and gives the best
information. I suggest either making a small size throw or table topper using each block, or making at least 6 of each block and make a larger sampler quilt. This way you will get more skill with each new project. Enjoy!