Don't be discouraged! Think of this as a project that's going to take a month or two and just relax and enjoy the steps along the way.
If you get a book that has just one quilt in it and follow it from start to finish, you aren't going to get taken in different directions with conflicting ideas.
Eleanor Burns is really good for writing books like this. Her Orion's Star book has a single block type - a star in a log cabin block, but it has a lot of different layouts and color suggestions. You'll learn how to make flying geese, stars and log cabins, then you'll learn how to put them all together, add borders, baste and quilt your quilt, put on a binding, etc.
Don't think of it as ironing - ironing is hot, sweaty, back-aching drudgery! :mrgreen: Think of pressing as a sewing step, because pressing the seam allowances will help you sew more accurately, giving you a more attractive block and one that is easier to incorporate into a quilt top.
Have fun with it! :)