What do you need to know?

I was at the library this week, browsing the quilt books (surprise, surprise), and I came across this one:

I've been talking with a non-quilting friend lately about what quilting is and the types of skills you need to know to make a quilt.  I picked up this book with her in mind (K, if you're reading right now, I'm sorry!), but when I started reading it I was shocked.  It's like looking into history.  Ancient history, it seems, yet it was published in 1998.
I was quilting in 1998, were you?
According to this book, there were so many rules!  Quilts weren't made of solid fabrics, templates were traced and rubber cemented to sand paper. The first fabric you should choose for a project is a large scale multicolored print...  (This sounds so bizarre and antiquated to me now, but I actually did start like that yesterday.  Then I added in a bunch of solids though.)  And she tells people to stay away from fabric with a one way design!  My, how tastes have changed..

In it's defense though, in the forward, Jan Burns compares quilting to "a quiet street you stroll along to savor solitude."  I totally get that. 

One of the things I love about the Modern quilt community is the freedom, the lack of rules and other quilters looking down their nose at you.  But you can't throw everything out the window.  This seems to be a topic I've addressed before, which rules still apply?  Today I want to take it further..

Are you up for a little survey?  If you've got the time, please comment and tell me:

1)  What are 10 skills beginning quilters need to know?
2)  What are the 5 quilting techniques you use most often?
3)  What are 5 quilt techniques you want to learn how to do?

Thanks for your help.  To show my appreciation, I made a little bottle cap pincushion which I'll sent to one lucky commenter next week.  I'll also tally the results and tell you my answers for #2 and #3. 
Can't wait to hear what you all have to say!

It came out cute, didn't it?  Such a quick and gratifying project, I may have to make more.

I am determined to turn K into a quilter.  She has a great eye for fabric.. now if only I can get her to cut it up and sew it back together...