My mom was a professional dressmaker and I was raised around it. The sewing machine was almost always out and I would watch. She started teaching me bits at a time about 8 years old. I watched more than "made" but didn't "get" patterns. I did make my kids clothes for a few years but stopped. Two years ago I took a quilting class and loved it. I think I have her talent, but in the quilting area, not dressmaking.