I'm new too...I've learned a lot and have even more to learn...it's a never-ending process. What I can say is that even with all the mistakes I make, and I make mistakes on every quilt, I learn from each one. It also bears mentioning that the receiver of the quilt is either not aware or is too happy to care about the imperfections. As for the ones that adorn my home, people are always genuinely impressed and oblivious of the mistakes. So, keep on quilting! :-)