recommendations for a very novice quilter?

[hairtwiddler]

So, having posted on what to make next, I've decided I'd like to have a go at a very simple quilt. I'm talking a simple block squares patchwork. I can still only sew in straight lines! However, I can do a bit of applique by hand, and have a machine.
Can anyone point me to an online tutorial or a first book?
Also, what equipment will I need to buy?
Is it possible to buy quilt kits with all the pieces cut out already for a complete novice? If so, can anyone point me in the direction of where I can get them online?
So many questions!! All answers very much appreciated.

Ok, I've bought some nice 4" fabric squares from ebay - thought I'd bypass the cutting this time (it's what scares me most).
What else should I buy? I'm totally confused about binding and backing etc etc. Anyone who can help?

I'm sure there will be plenty of online tutorials if you google. Or check if your library has any books.

If you're not confident with binding then the easiest way to make your quilt after you've sewn the patchwork top is:

• Lay your wadding down.
• On top of this place your backing fabric right side UP.
• On top of this place your patchwork top right side DOWN
• Sew around the edges leaving a gap which you then use to turn the quilt through
• Slip stitch the gap closed
• Then quilt

Thanks, that's a really helpful tip. TBH I'm struggling to find a tutorial idiot proof enough!
Any recommendations for best fabric for backing? Quilt is intended to be a playmat.

the cutting i sooo much fun if you buy a rotary cutter, square ruler and mat :D but they're not cheap, so pre-cut is a good way to start to see if you like it before you splash out.

do you have a walking/even feed foot for your mahine? it's not essential for the piecing (sewing the patchwork together) but it is gfor the quilting unless you're only doing a doll-size quilt.

quilts are usually sewn with cotton thread, so it's not any stronger than the fabric (easier to re-stitch seam than replace shreaded fabric) but honestly, your first quilt is unlikely to be an heirloom so don't fret too much would be my advice over everything, just do it

it's quickest to get all your pieces stacked up how you want to stitch them (right sides together) then "chain piece" them one after the other without cutting, then just snip them apart. you don't have to mark everything, just sew them with a 1/4" seam allowance (usually you'll find this is the width of one of your standard machine feet). i love quilt sewing, it's really easy ( well, i did just have to unpick a load of quilting cos i stitched the wrong bit together ).

keep going like that until you have all your bits together, then sandwich with wadding and backing. so far i've only used 80/20 cotton/poly wadding and it works a treat. mark your quilting pattern in water-soluble pen, pin everything together with a billion safety pins then use a long stitch setting to go down all the lines with your walking foot.

this is the bit that can get tricky if it's a big quilt (i've only done baby ones so far - i'd recommend them, cheap and quick) as you have to manhandle the quilt through the gap in your machine. start in the middle and try to work so you never have more than half the quilt under at any one time.

chop off the wonky edges so it's roughly square and if you're not sure about turning corners with a binding don't! just do straight strips overlapping on the corners and hand sew them neatly down after.

i just picked up a random quilting book in our local bookshop for a how-to (it was the only one they had ). purl patchwork online has some beautifully clearly illustrated tutorials - go here and scroll down to the patchwork and sewing tutorials on the right.

and ask us any questions here. quilting rocks

as if that wasn't enough, just read last post

purl's piecing tutorial is here (ignore the hand piecing bit, all the red stuff) and here's their quilting one. stitching in (or somewhere-in-the-rough-vicinity-of ) the ditch is the way to go with your first one so ignore what i said about marking patterns.

thing about doing it envelope style and then quilting is the quilting inevitably pushes things out of shape a bit - all my quilts so far the quilting has been the dodgiest bit - and with the trim-and-bind method you can square things up so you barely notice. i've never tried the other way though so don't take my word for it

any (woven, roughly quilt-weight) fabric will do for a backing on a playmat. i would avoid anything exotic (e.g. you could use fleece or pul) for a first try as the quilting process can squish things about a bit, so make your life easy and choose something cottonish.

oops quilting tutorial

Ok, so this is all beginning to come together in my head now! Thanks so much for such a helpful reply. Can anyone explain how the binding tape works? Does it stick down the edges or something?
Best place to buy online?
I promise to get less clueless as time goes on!

the binding folds over the raw edge and is stitched down, enclosing it completely.

there are different ways of binding - it needn't be complicated as you're only doing straight edges so no need for it to be bias (diagonal) cut. you can just use strips of your own fabric.

you can get commercial bias binding most haberdashery places - you may not have a huge choice of colours, and the ones i've had have been on the thin side. little things like that i often get from ebay as the post is reasonable if you're just buying one item.

you fold it down the centre so the edges don't quite match, then pin it around the edge of the quilt with the narrower edge on top. then you sew along just catching the top edge, which should (in theory!) also catch the wider edge underneath.

you can also make your own tape from strips of fabric with a bias tape maker which folds the edges to an equal width (so just like commercial tape only prettier ).

you can also just sew strips of fabric right-side-together with the top of the quilt, then turn onto the back, tuck under the spare and hand stitch it down (how good that looks depends largely on your hand sewing). i did a version of this but machine stitched on this quilt, mind-numbing detail on the method in the post

basically there's a million ways of doing it, so pick one you think you understand best and try that. i would definitely go for not trying to mitre the corners first time out.

i'm not doing well with links today - must preview!

that second link again

btw if you're getting a bias tape maker you want a 1" for quilt making so it's half an inch wide once folded and don't bother with hemline ones they don't work and are a waste of money - prym's good, as i've heard is clover.

Thanks puppydavies. I think it'll be clearer when I come to do it - expect panic posting in a few weeks!
Was your second link to some of your work? It linked to a bias marker (the same as your first post). Would love to see one of your quilts.