My first quilt was a log cabin quilt and was an elongated lap quilt -- 4 blocks by 3 blocks, each about 12"x12". The hubby has long legs and we often have trouble finding a nice throw blanket that is long enough for him. With my job, it took me about 2 weeks to finish the quilt by machine sewing the blocks and hand stitching the quilt back to the top. Like everyone else, I wouldn't recommend starting with a large project as it can quickly discourage you from a relaxing hobby.