I strongly recommend taking a class if at all possible, because nothing compares to having someone who knows what they're doing RIGHT THERE when you have a question. A local quilt shop is your best bet. You could also try a chain fabric/craft store, or even check if a community college has any adult education classes in quilting. If a class is not an option, however, there are some good books available.

1. Books - For a beginner, try "Start Quilting with Alex Anderson." This is the book we used in my class. It teaches the basics of machine quilting (she also has one for hand quilting). It's a thin book, list price $12.95 (about $10 on Amazon). This is a great workbook. It teaches six basic blocks, but they give you the techniques needed for 75% of the traditional quilt blocks. I also recommend a good reference book, like the "Quilter's Complete Guide" by Fons & Porter ($22.95) or "The Quilter's Ultimate Visual Guide" ($19.95). Both include all sorts of info, from cutting to piecing to basting to quilting to binding. Finally, I really like the books "Quilts from the Quiltmaker's Gift" ($26.95) and "More Quilts from the Quiltmaker's Gift," ($26.95, $6 at Amazon) by Joanne Larsen Line. The illustrations are beautiful, the instructions are detailed and provide cutting and sewing instructions for a variety of sizes for each quilt, there are photos of at least three finished quilts for each block shown, and the quiltmakers are "real people" - including several children.

As for websites, be sure to check out Quilters Cache. There are over 1500 free patterns, without a lot of advertising. The instructions are fairly clear and they show an illustration of what the finished quilt might look like (essential for blocks that form secondary patterns). It's a little challenging to navigate - click the drop down that says "Where do you want to go today?" and choose "Quilt Blocks Galore" to see the blocks. There are also some great lessons in the drop down menu.

2. Hand vs. machine quilting (and piecing) is totally up to you. Some people believe that hand quilting is too slow and they would never get anything done that way. Others say that they'd never get anything done if they had to wait until they had time to sit down at a machine - they prefer to keep it handy and work for a few minutes whenever they have spare time. You need to decide what works best for you. Personally, I prefer to machine piece and machine quilt, but I have a "short arm" machine quilting frame so it's much easier for me to do large quilts.

3. Basting spray is great for smaller projects, or projects that you will quilt immediately. If you have a large quilt that you are quilting on a regular machine, basting spray might not be sufficient. You can pin baste - they make special bent safety pins that are supposed to be easier to work with, especially with a tool called a Kwik Klip. You can get a basting gun and connect the layers using little pieces of plastic, like smaller versions of what they use to put price tags on clothing. You can also baste the layers together using needle and thread, and making long running stitches.

4. You can go crazy buying tools for quilting. I recommend you get a good rotary cutter with a 45mm blade ($25). That's big enough to cut through several layers and small enough to still be fairly maneuverable. I prefer the ones with squeeze safety handles because the safety feature is automatically engaged whenever you let go. The ones you have to slide back and forth are too easy to set down without putting the guard back.
I'd recommend starting with an 12" x 18" mat. It's large enough to handle squaring up your fabric (turn it vertically), but it won't break the bank ($16). If you really get into quilting, you'll want to get something larger (18"x24", or even 24" x 36" if you have the space). I like to use the plain side instead of the gridded side, and use my ruler for all measuring and squaring.

You need three rulers, one that is long but narrow like 18" x 3" ($8), one that is at smaller and easier to maneuver like 6 1/2" x 12 1/2" ($13), and one that is 12 1/2" square ($22). The long one is best for cutting strips, the smaller one is good for cutting smaller pieces and cutting diagonals, and the square one is good for squaring up your finished blocks. If you can get one with an allover 1/8" grid, they're great. The middle one should have diagonal lines marked - 45 and 60 degree at least. Watch for sales (and coupons) at your local craft stores. Omnigrip is a newer style if ruler that has a special no-slip coating on the fabric side. This is great if you can find it. If not, you can buy a roll of stuff called Invisigrip ($5) to put on the back of your rulers. If they don't slide around you're less likely to cut the fabric wrong.

You’ll need a small pair of scissors ($18) for clipping thread. I recommend one with spring handles rather than the traditional style – they’re much easier to use, especially if you have larger hands. Also get a seam ripper – nothing fancy, a couple bucks. If you’re going to hand sew, invest in a needle threader ($16).

The cost of special feet for your sewing machine depends on the machine and the foot. For basic piecing, get a ¼” foot. It helps you to keep your seams accurate. For machine quilting, you should have a free motion or darning foot and a walking foot. Higher end machines require special feet, so these could cost anywhere from $10 ( ¼” foot) on up to $50 (walking foot). When choosing your machine, make sure it has a "needle down" function - you often stop in the middle of a piece to adjust and it’s much easier if the needle stops down, in the fabric.

5. Usually, the backing is the same type of fabric you used on the front. Don’t use a sheet for your backing – the thread count is usually higher than quilting fabric and it’s harder to quilt through. My very first quilt I used muslin for the backing – big mistake. Not only was the quality considerably less than the front, but because it was a solid color, every bit of my quilting was visible. If you’re extremely talented, go ahead with the solid back, but if you want to camouflage your quilting a bit, use a print.

Other “pearls of wisdom”:
Either pre-wash everything, or pre-wash nothing.
Use 100% cotton thread on 100% cotton fabric.
Don’t buy 87,000 colors of thread – get white, black, cream, brown, light gray and dark gray. Match to the lighter fabric.
Sew a “scant” ¼” seam – the fold takes up a little space.
Or, cut the fabric a little bigger, sew the pieces together, then trim after each seam.
If accuracy is a problem, try paper piecing.
Start small. Make a wall hanging sampler quilt – lots of different blocks for practice.
Find a quilt group – either near you or online. Yahoo Groups has over 1000 – at least one will fit.
Try to contain your fabric stash. Buy what you need, when you need it. (I can’t follow this advice, unfortunately.)
Get the best machine you can afford, and buy from a local dealer if possible.
Better quality fabric is really worth it. Try shopping the sale stuff at the local quilt shops or online. Hancocks of Paducah has wonderful fabrics regularly on sale for $4-$5 a yard.

Good luck! Quilting is addictive!