Sewing hand made quilts is so much more than a skill, it is creating art.
It is much like making a dress and designing one, in quilting you pour a part of yourself into it which is why hand made quilts are often made into heir loom pieces that are passed from mother to daughter.
Starting a quilting project is not a simple matter and careful preparation and planning need to go into it. This is the reason why even if you have been sewing for a long time if you are just starting with quilting it is ideal to find a mentor. If you have friend that practices this then that is a bonus for you because if logistics allow you can with her permission setup your equipment next to hers so you can easily ask for advice or techniques if you encounter difficulties. You may also join a quilt guide in your area. The 
wonderful thing about these guilds is that they are more than happy to impart their knowledge to other members. If the two earlier options are not workable then we are fortunate to have been born in the information age and the internet. There are forums and blogging sites that you can join where experienced craftsmen and women are more than happy to share their experiences and techniques to novices to the field. As hand made quilts are very human input oriented the fact that a person half a world away can communicate with a mentee through the internet by forums, blogs and even Skype is exciting and greatly boosts the learning of a novice quilter. Aside from mentors, magazines and manufacturer or supplier websites are excellent sources of information. With your first project keep it simple and focus on simple geometry. The squares and rectangles are ideal quilt blocks for beginners. These need to be mastered because with its mastery the skills for sewing and pressing become more accurate and these are essential for combining fabrics. These two basics in combination can result in numerous designs so just using the two to start will not limit the types of projects one can create.
As in any new project, start with simple projects just to get a feel for the techniques and to gain confidence. Purchasing starter kits is a good first step, do your research online and through possible mentors, get their advice on good starter kits and designs. After your initial project you can then take on more challenges. Remember making hand made quilts is more than skill it is honing a craft and producing art hence needs experience to back it up. Do not be afraid or ashamed of reaching out to claim that wisdom in quilting that only experienced quilters have.