I'm not sure about a particular book. I suppose I'd pick this one:
http://www.harriethargrave.com/Books...-Year-p78.html
There are all sorts of options out there for thread, needles, etc, but here is what is generally accepted as the easiest set-up for beginning quilters:
- matching thread color top & bottom
- 50wt cotton thread (Aurifil is the cream of the crop, but Gutermann is also a pretty good thread & more readily available)
- For a 50wt thread, a size 80/12 Microtex needle works well both for quilting & piecing. If you struggle with getting your needle threaded, you can use size 80/12 Topstitch needle, but it does make
slightly larger holes in the fabric. They sell both of those in Schmetz brand at JAF. Schmetz needles are nice because they're color-coded making it easy to figure out which needle you have in your machine.
- You generally want a thread color that is just a shade greyer/duller than your fabric. That will show up the least. I know how horrible that sounds, but trust me, you'll be glad you did it. After enough time working designs, you'll start to think "wow, I really wish I didn't pick such a busy fabric & matching 50wt thread" ... at that point, it's time to start considering other options. But especially with FMQ, that will take a while.
- Always do a practice piece to check thread tension. It's typically set between 1-3 for FMQ and 2-4 for a walking foot.
- Low loft cotton batting is easiest to machine quilt. Warm & Natural is a good option. It's 88% cotton, 12% synthetic scrim. The scrim is what holds it together. Seed side goes up.
- Never quilt farther apart (length or width) than what the batting package recommends. Beyond that, if it's going to be washed on a regular basis (like a table runner), you usually want to keep quilting lines no more than 2" apart. So, for example, you could SID the pineapples & do a 2" crosshatch for the rest of your runner.
- Be sure to carefully baste your quilt. I prefer pins, but due to deadline & being a new quilter (how exciting!), you might consider glue basting. There are plenty of tutorials on this site & on YouTube. You just use Elmer's Washable School Glue (must use the washable version!). The other SUPER easy option that I just learned about through my quilting guild is Bosal Craft-Tex. It's a fusible product for table runners. It comes on a roll of 20x50" that you just cut to size & fuse directly to your quilt top & backing fabric. It looks quite lovely quilted, but I haven't used it myself. It's advertised as "perfect for beginning quilters". Here's a video from the Easy Peezy website if you're interested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=8nsqdnz0WU0
- Cut backing & batting slightly larger (at least 2" all around) than top. Tape backing to flat surface (like counter or table), apply glue as directed & gently lay batting on smoothing out any wrinkles (may need to toss in dryer with damp towel for a few minutes first to get creases out); you'll want to start in the middle & work your way to each end; then do the same with quilt top.
- Your quilting should generally start close to the center. This is not as critical with glue basting as with other methods, but I'd still recommend starting with the pineapples.
Most importantly: HAVE FUN! The first few quilts you do will be labors of love. Unless you're the type of quilter that picks out every single stray stitch, it will be full of lovely imperfections. It's the reason why I keep my first "bed" (crib) quilt as my avatar. It reminds me of my beginnings & keeps me humble. I had quilted a table runner & placemats prior to that. The table runner was done with cheap monofilament thread because that's what the pattern recommended for beginners. Mono is quite temperamental & I bought probably the lowest quality on the market (JAF, 10+ years ago). It lasted for a good 7-8 years & then stitches started snapping. So I've added it to my To-Do pile & will re-do it with a near matching thread for SID (one shade greyer) and plan to add in some beautiful feathers & flowers FMQ as I've learned how to do those since the original construction of my runner. I do NOT pick out any stitches unless they fail to properly form (skipped stitches, loops on front, loops on back). That means I have some quilts that clearly show a progression in my quilting education (and truly, I still am a horrible piecer; I prefer needle turn applique or whole cloth quilting), but it also helped get me to my goal faster as I was able to get in much more practice in the same amount of time as if I had picked out every errant stitch 6x until flawless.
When you're ready to try FMQ, Leah Day has a ton of amazing YouTube videos (esp Free Motion Quilt Along series) & is an incredible teacher. But definitely take the time to learn to quilt with your walking foot first.