When I started 40 years ago as a hand quilter, the only tools needed were a needle, thread, thimble and scissors. Those quilts took a year or more to make and had many little imperfections (quilt term: wonkies) that you hoped would "quilt out". Now I could make the same quilt in two weeks.
What has changed? Quilting Technology! We have great tools and techniques to create more accurate, pleasing, intricate quilts than ever before. Once you have tried some of these tools, you won't know how you lived without them. The goodies available for quilters are legion and we all have our favorites.
We have limited this list to the BASIC tools that a beginning quilter should have.