Sewing advice please- I'm a hopeless beginner!

[MudAndGlitter]

I want to start sewing clothes for the DC's and other bits and bobs. Are there any good books or websites out there that could help? How do I know what materials work for different types of clothing? How do I get started? What else could I sew?
I have my nan's old singer machine but what other accessories will I need?

firstly, do you know how to work the sewing machine?
and have you ever made anything from a pattern before?

Yes (I think so, I tried some stitches)
No.

I think I have some patterns that I picked up a few months ago and didnt do anything with.

what worked for me was to take beginners sewing classes for about 3 weeks where we made a bag with a button and a purse with a zip, after that i did a dressmaking for beginners class for a few weeks where i made some pyjamas. after that i was able to follow patterns (there are symbols) and had a general idea. i went to a drop-in club for a while too when i got stuck.

when you buy patterns it usually tells you what you need and what fabric it'll work for and how much to buy.

i work in a fabric shop selling patterns and advising what you'll need and we usually say to start with a simple pattern and just read through the instructions slowly and sew it all up step by step.if your not sure you could always tack/hand sew it before you machine stitch it. also try the pattern out on cheap fabric or old sheets/pillowcases before using more expensive fabrics. before long you'll be sewing allsorts for yourself/family

I have won a book called "sewing for boys" it is really, really good! and absolutely no reason why you couldnt use the patterns for girls either!

There is a flickr group devoted to the book and if you google, you will find tons of book reviews.

The oliver & S website is also really good. The patterns are expensive but they are very clear and easy for a beginer to follow & you get excellent results. I have made the sailboat top. There are also free patterns on the website/blog. I find it great for tutorials.

there is a year-long sew-a-long for the sewing for boys book, about to start at this blog

i cant wait to get started!

I am a novice with a new sewing machine too and can't wait to try some if the projects on makeit-loveit.com. She also gives some advice on starting to sew.

OP, if you ever frequent secondhand bookshops or charity shops, you quite often see copies of the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing. It's pretty venerable now (first published in the 70's I think), but in fact very good indeed as a starting guide, crammed full of useful and sensible info. Amazon have a few for sale (ignore the new ones for over £100!) - link here.
Good luck; sewing is a great crafty hobby and will give you lots of fun and a marvellous sense of achievement.