It looks very good to me! I am sure you will improve by doing more. A 1/4" foot definitely helps and I'd suggest just starting with squares. You chose a challenging pattern for a beginner. I would just do 4 patch or 9 patch blocks until you get the hang of piecing and matching seams. If it's something that I am totally neurotic about matching seams, I also just put a drop of glue and hit it with the iron to hold it in place. Keep up the good work!