I've been sewing knitting and crocheting for decades and have a few things to say (Surprise, surprise!)

- it's usually going to be more expensive than some clothes you can buy because those manufacturers can mass produce cheaply

- sometimes the hardest part is understanding the patterns and the abbreviations, so put the time in to make sure you can get all the way through the pattern without sobbing

- it's not an art, it's a science and it can be taught. I have taken classes in both sewing and knitting before and learnt something new every time, but there are also great tutorials out there to teach you everything from fitting a collar, to button holes and how to block your knitting.