Really don't buy a small mat. Buy the biggest you can. You will never regret it. A big mat, a 45mm rotary cutter, a 6 1/2" x 24" ruler, glass head pins, several pair of good scissors, several seam rippers, spools of thread and working machine and you can make a masterpiece.

Check if you machine has the 1/4inch seam foot if not that might be something to look into..it is very important to get that 1/4 seam I learn the hard way ...my machine didn't have one ..but now I have a quilting Janome and love it.

Letty you are right...I have 3 cutting mats...each time one bigger...wish I would have bought the biggest one first and I would not need the others. The mats fit nicely under the couch.

Leah Day has some great tips on what to get. she is wonderful!!! I learnt a ton from her! http://www.daystyledesigns.com/cuttingtools.htm

I have just read thru 5 pages of helpful advice from fellow quilters. You are all amazing with help. I just want to get my 2cents in. get a good pair of small thread scissors. This is something you can get down the road, but a big plus. Mine are spring loaded that stay open but does have a lock on them when traveling.

And signing up at Joanns and Hannocks for sales and coupons is big. You will save lots of money that way. I keep a running list of things I need and then get them on sale. For Christmas and my birthday....I always ask for gift cards from here or local fabric shops.

I too am a newbie to quilting and just love all these fellow quilters and their advice.
This board is adicting.

Another tip. Use a label maker to mark your name on all your stuff. Cutters, mats, scissors, machines, etc. can tend to all look alike when you get a bunch together. A regular #2 or mechanical pencil for marking. Use good quilters pins. Watch that you have your electrical connection and foot control when you pack your machine. Zip lock bags to hold pre-cut pieces together are a real help. And remember to have fun. I so enjoyed the quilt class I took. We all learned from each other.

I have signed up for a jelly roll class and also a beginner's quilting class which is 4 hours once a week for 4 weeks.

Don't ignore the new rulers and tools. They are not necessary but you need some spice along with the salt.

Thanks for all the replies. I have what most people recommend. I love this board. Every one seems so helpful and supportive! The classes have a max of 8 people in them which sounds like a good number. I also signed up for a Jodi Barrows Trunk show on the 24th.

when you start cutting your fabrics ,tie a small strip of your fabric around your scissors handle so you,ll know those are your pair to keep track of them

I would only take whats necessary for the class. Remember, you have to haul everything in and everything out after class. A sewing machine, fabric, thread, pens,scissors, rotary cutter. I don't know if she has cutting matts available. (?)
Class room should have irons, ironing boards. Don't buy a lot of stuff you won't use after class.

I would add a pencil sharpener mine always break when I arrive at class. Enjoy yourself. Oh fabric?

If you plan on taking your own iron, don't forget something to use it on. I've got a 13" x 19" Omnigrid cutting mat/pressing board combo that works well. Just don't close it while it's still warm or the mat will warp.

Way back when - people made usable quilts with just the following items:

fabric, scissors, needle, and thread.

They also probably had a few pins, a thimble, and some sort of pattern/plan.

Jinny Beyer said she still does a lot of hand-piecing.

I found the 6 x 24" grid ruler to be the best. Invest in a pair of REALLY good scissors. Spray starch and good thread - I use the 1000m spools from Guterman.

All the main things that were mentioned by everyone ...but also, you might need an extension cord for your machine in class. Sometimes the outlets are out away from where you are sitting.

Update on my class:
Last Saturday I went to my first quilting class, Jelly Roll Race. It didn't start out well. I had ordered a machine and it got lost during shipping so my husband bought me a Brother SQ9050 quilting machine. I got it the day before class and played with it some. I get to class new machine in hand and immediately start having problems. It wasn't the machine, it was me. I had not played with it enough for the class. I was upset with myself and frankly embarrassed. Luckily the owner of the shop "Sewn With Luv in Newnan, GA, Katlynn set up one of her machines for me! Now I could get started. I think I did well for this being my first time. And for those of you who recommended taking a seam ripper, thank you sew much. I had sewn two strips on the wrong side. I thought that wasn't too bad out of 51 strips! I start my beginner quilting class Wednesday Oct 3! It's once a week for 4 hours and it's 4 weeks long. I am very excited!

Thanks to all who responded to my post, it was very helpful. I have decided to get a rolling machine bag and maybe a duffle bag to carry the rest of my stuff in when I go to classes. I really enjoy taking classes. Get to learn new things the correct way and get to meet new people.

I'm already hooked!

Hopefully, you have all of your basics by now. I tend to buy as I have a need or use for something. There are some rulers I would suggest if you don't already have them...a 6 x 24" and a 12 or 14" square ruler. I use these for squaring up fabric after the washing and pressing processes. If you don't start out with squared pieces then it's all down hill from there. You probably have a rotary cutter and mat by now for cutting fabric, but I would highly recommend an inexpensive pair of scissors to be used exclusively for cutting batting so your rotary cutter stays sharper longer. A sharp, good-quality seam ripper is important so that the fabric is pulled upon as least as possible when ripping out a seam. The rule here is you can tell by the price if it's a good one or not. Ask some fellow quilting friends what works best for them. Happy quilting!

Agree with the others, but my 2 favorite rulers are 8.5"x24" and 3"x18".