Sounds like a grand project to me! I too just purchased some fabric for my very first X-Kilt. I am not quite sure what a sewing machine is, or how it works, but how hard can it be...?

I had a devil of a time finding cotton/poly twill as suggested. I guess it is not very popular for quilting, so it is not that easy to find (outside of China anyway)? Best of luck with your fabric hunting!