I agree, DO NOT be discouraged!!! There are a lot of just square ideas out there for free!! An easy one is to sew strips of fabrics (all the same width) together. then cut them going across the strips so that you not have strips of blocks. then sew these strips together (moving 1 or 2 blocks down so that you do not have the same color next to each other) Viola!! You have a quilt with simple blocks!!

Hi. I understand the feeling of being overwhelmed. I have a ton of books and patterns and just want to be able to sit down and do them! However it's daunting. It's seems a violation somehow to cut the material and not be sure I know exactly what I'm doing. I took several free classes through our senior's college on different aspects of quilting. We covered using the rotary cutter, cutting techniques for different shapes etc. It was what I had read but made more sense in the context of a class. One session we tried out different quilting methods and I learned I need a lot more practice in free motion quilting before I try that on something I've worked so hard on.
I also joined the Quilter's Guild in our town. There are many talented people who are wonderful in giving help to us newbies. Right now I have my first quilt on the sewing machine and am doing stitch in a ditch outline quilting. I know what I need to do in order to put the binding on and if I get into trouble I can always call one of my new friends.
Good luck.
Katherine

Here's one I made using only squares. It was relatively easy to do, and it was tied.

this is a simple top, nothing but squares so you only need to piece.
For someone who is really new to sewing, though, this could be quite intimidating. Maybe a beginner class is a better suggestion, or find someone who sews and has made a quilt for some 1 on 1 support.

Don' be discouraged. Many of us have been quilting all our lives and we all had to learn, just like you. Here is a site where you can learn everything you need to know, all the techniques step by step, and find free patterns too: http://www.quilting.about.com. I use it all the time for a refresher course when I forget how to do something. Have fun!

Don't give up! Another easy quilt with "just squares" is a single or double irish chain, and it goes together fairly quickly. Even a 4-patch or 9-patch came be beautiful.
And don't worry about anyone else's work. They were once beginners, too.

Try www.overallquilter.com

I made the Squares on Point quilt, only using 8 1/2 squares and wider borders using the same directions but ended up with a bigger quilt. The pattern is very easy and quick. This site is an online store only.

Good luck! Char

I am rather a newbie to quilting. I have been doing them for about 2 years. I just see what I would think is an easy pattern, I tell DH what I would like to do. He drafts my pattern and off I go. I only do squares and once I did a half square. Don't feel discouraged, there are days I feel that way too. I may have liked the fabric or pattern one day and not the next. I stick with it and glad I do. I enjoy what I do, that's all that matters to me. Others in this group have far more experience then I do, I love their quits, but, they too started somewhere

When I first started quilting I loved Eleanor Burns - Quilt in a Day, check it out the log cabin pattern is really easy. I also got really discouraged in the beginning, I tried a pattern out of a quilting magazine and it was a misprint. I didn't know it until I took the pattern and all my pieces to my mom and begged for help. She took them to her quilting guild and they all tried to help. That's when we found out the pattern was misprinted. I was ready to never quilt again, three years now and I love it. So look up quiltinaday.com and good luck.