I want to learn to...

[ninetynineonehundred]

Sew, knit, crochet, quilt

Where do I start?
I can do basic plain knitting and okayish hand sewing for invisible mending but that's all.
Don't know how to follow a pattern and am scared of cutting fabric

Any ideas for starter projects?

That's a lot of learning all at once!

If you want to learn to dressmake, I suggest you begin by taking apart a simple dress....unpick it...a child's one is best and probably as plain as you have.

Unpick it all and see the construction. Then use it as a template to make another. Pin the pieces to some cheap, cotton fabric and cut out. Use chalk to make marks.

Read up on tutorials for things like darts but at first choose something without!

Um, what's a dart?

I like the idea of unpicking a top or dress. Thanks

A dart is one of those "Mini seams" you see on fitted clothes...under boob areas for instance. They're usually present on tailored things so not normally on kid's stuff anyway.

I unpicked things when I first began making clothes and I now have a nice little collection of my own patterns.

I found those a line, cotton frocks easiest...the ones with no sleeves and a round neck. they're often bought in t shirt type fabric but don't try to sew with that stuff right away...choose non stretch cotton and make a hemmed slit in the back and add a button or popper.

at ninetynine

Well out of your list, I can only do sewing machine basics.

But I have found Pinterest and Youtube very helpful. Lots of ideas, tutorials for pretty much everything. My want to do wishlist is now as longer than I will ever manage to do but it's such fun.

Don't be scared of cutting fabric. Get some cheap fabric and have a go. If it gets messed up, it's a learning experience, if you complete it, it's a learning experience and the first thing that you made

I'm asking for a basic sewing machine for my birthday. Excited now.
I've bought curtain material for daughters room so am nothing if not ambitious.
Do like the idea of making a sewing bag though. Especially one where I can hide the knitting needles from only just walking baby.

I don't know where you are based, but Fabricland (various shops, sort of online sales) are great for cheap fabrics too. You'll need sunglasses for the website though. Just warning you

I recently made a very simple but very cute bag just for bits and pieces, and I think recipient uses it for knitting, am now pondering a shark peg bag possibly completely outs self

ive always found knittinghelp.com invaluable for learning new stitches, and ravelry for looking at crafting porn. the local wi in leeds city centre (they are called buns and roses) is very cool and there is often a range of different projexts brought to an taught at the meetings, maybe see whats crafting groups are in your area

99-100, this is not a stealth boast - hear me out.

I've been sewing for 40+ years now, shedloads of training and genes to back it up, probably a bazillion hours dressmaking experience.

I still break into a cold sweat whenever I start to cut out fabric. I don't know if I'm ever going to be cured. You are totally not alone on that score.

Highly recommend you have a little wander around sewing websites for terminology and tips. When the Great British Sewing Bee starts up again (no idea when - they did their filming in late August/early September), watch all that. Trawl through charity shops for instruction books and/or patterns.

Start with simple things. Most sewing pattern catalogues have sections of "easy to do" (FTR, I prefer Simplicity patterns) and all of the pattern companies mark their patterns with easy/difficult ratings. Start off with the easier ratings.

Echo what other posters have said about breaking down a blouse or a skirt that you like. But maybe not you like too much!

Lots of local colleges do sewing beginners classes, ask at a fabric or knitting shop if you have one and they will know. And there's been a huge increase in knitting / crochet weekly meetups too, you might find one locally that has beginners classes. Sewing is great once you get going but a bad experience (like having to bin something you've put hours into) can put you off so it would be brilliant to get a good start by getting some help with basics first if you can. A good sewing class will have you making simple garments from day 1.