My mother sent me a thin McCall's quilting magazine in about 1975, and I picked the Whig Rose pattern as my first ever quilt to make, all hand pieced and quilted. The fabrics cost about $26, and the templates were all cardboard. The pattern didn't suggest cutting away the extra layers under the applique, so hand quilting the "roses" was daunting. I remember finally finishing the border while watching the 1980 Olympics.
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Daffy

My first quilt I made my mother cut a cardboard square for me to use as a template for my blocks that I traced and cut out with scissors. I still have it.

I had a few friends ask me to teach a beginners class, I was thinking of doing the same thing. very minimal investment. Learn to line up a 1/4 seam from the markings on the needle-plate. I figure if someone is hooked they will want to learn more and be willing to invest some more.

I had been watching "Simply Quilts" with Alex Anderson, never intending to actually make a quilt. I had never been good with machinery, and sewing was not my strong suit, but I found this pattern that had a Southwestern focus. My husband loves that area of the country, so I thought I would give it a try. The pattern included appliqué and a pieced border. I did some hand quilting on it. It wasn't the first quilt I finished, but I did complete it. Luckily it was a wall quilt size. My husband was very pleased with it.

Leslie

This has been a great thread...my first was a tumbling block quilt which I just finished this year as it had been in my pile of UFO's since 2012.

my first quilt was a cathedral window. My neighbor taught me to make a block. Then proceeded to gift me 4 paper grocery bags full of white HEAVY duck fabric to use to make it. I added white heavy cotton eyelet fabric for the centers. Needless to say, I didnt get far. The cotton was too heavy to fold and stitch thru, I gave up after about 9 blocks.
About 10 years later I started watching Alex Andersons Quilt show and wanted to make a quilt. I went shopping at a LQS and got so lost in the fabric, the owner suggested I join their "Dear Jane" quilt club. I did, my first quilt was a Dear Jane where I learned all different techniques on a small scale. The members thought I was weird for changing the Dear Jane pattern. The rest is history. Here is my first quilt: (it was a QAYG before there was such a thing)

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...psmaiwd408.jpg

Not really a beginner but still trying out new things. My 1st paper pieced project was Jenny Beyer's Crystal Star. Didn't really have a problem with it and fell in love with paper piecing after that. Took another year before I started another paper piecing project though and tried the Arcadia. That one gave me issues as I wasn't understanding the instructions. Finally some of my friends tried to help me understand but I went into "AGHHHHHHHHH!" mood and couldn't fathom what they were saying but after walking away for awhile I figured out what they were trying to say and finished the blocks. Still isn't quilted but at least the quilts are put together.

I took a beginner's quilting class at my LQS. After those three lessons, I decided to join the Bonnie Hunter Mystery and make Orca Bay. Talk about frustration! It almost caused divorce, LOL. I bet there are not two seams or points that meet where they should, but I was (am) so proud of that quilt. I have a stack of pieced tops waiting to be quilted and I will begin on my own longarm in about a month (as soon as my sewing room is remodeled and the longarm is set up). That first quilt top will NOT be the first one I tackle but I will tackle it one day. I expect the same frustration and excitement that I experienced while making Orca Bay. I have never looked back. Back then, I did not know that there were things I needed to "work up" to. Now, maybe I am a little too hesitant to try new techniques. It's still the best therapy!

I didn't have any sewing experience when I started quilting. I read the novel "The Quilters Apprentice" and thought it sounded fun. I went to the library and checked out the books "Quilting for Dummies" and "The Complete Idiots Guide to Quilting" for guidance.

I got out some graph paper and designed my first quilt. It is machine pieced and hand quilted. It took a year to complete. It is the bedspread that I use on my spare bedroom double bed. It is my most cherished quilt, and I'd never part with it.

I've tried to follow a pattern since then, but can't understand the directions. I find it easier to make quilts that live in my head. I'm always working on one now.

ditto here - full size bed quilt though. Dh figured out how to sew it, we kept it on the bed for many years. Second one was a Log Cabin with small strips.

I'd bought a used Pfaff 1471. Trying out every thing in the manual and wanted a quilt for our king bed. I did House on a Hill. Doing the blocks wasn't hard - quilting the dang thing was. I'd used high loft batting, and my sewing desk backed up to a window so no room for quilting to go. After that, I'd had enough and took up heirloom sewing.

Looked around on the internet and found QAYG. That got me started again. It's a lot easier that trying to do a King quilt on small machine. I still have a Pfaff, but a 2144. I've embroidered a couple of rag quilts using the fancy templates from a book or what I could put in via digitizing software. Changing plates on the machine got to be a bit of a drag (I had a single hole plate along with the regular plate) so I bought a quilter. Tried a Brother PQ 1500, wasn't quite happy with it, and got the Juki 2010. That one is a keeper.

The House on the Hill quilt lasted for a few years, then started to fray since I'd used some bargain fabric.
It went to Ferret Rescue. She cut it up, stitched the edges and gave it to unwanted ferrets to cuddle in.