My first quilt was made 9 summers ago. I was pregnant with my first child and I wanted to make a baby quilt for him. Thankfully, a dear friend helped me each step of the way, because I had NO clue about quilting, but I really wanted to learn. I remember having the hardest time rotary cutting. (I was scared to death!) And I also remember having a very hard time sewing a straight quarter inch seam. (That eventually got easier.)
I didn't quilt or bind it. The layers were sewn together, then flipped. It's tied with perle cotton. It measures about 40" square. My son still loves it and after 9 years, it's still in one piece. :)
One of my most recent finishes is the oh cherry oh quilt. (more here.) I quilted this one so heavily that it makes up for the lack of quilting in my first (five) quilts. :)
I've learned so much since my first quilt. A good sewing machine really makes a difference. Quilting is hard at first, the learning curve is steep, but once you get over the hump it's so worth it. Practice really does help. Simple patterns are good. And a fabric addiction is hard to kick.
After making my first quilt, I recall thinking "I can't believe I just made a quilt!" I still get a thrill when finishing each one. It doesn't get old, even after one hundred and some odd times.