Reddit reviews High Fashion Sewing Secrets from the World's Best Designers: A Step-By-Step Guide to Sewing Stylish Seams, Buttonholes, Pockets, Collars, Hems, And More (Rodale Sewing Book)

If you are trying to be frugal about it, sewing your clothes isn't the way to go. It may be good to learn a lot of mending techniques and how to alter clothing.

Answering the actual question:

I second Craftster.org, but also Burdastyle has a ton of free patterns that you can cut out. The two books I refer to most for information are teh vogue guide to sewing (which as an almost encyclopedic how to on every basic thing you would need to know) and the High fashion sewing, which helps you refine your skills by teaching how to correctly do different seams (also explains when and why you would use them.)

Vogue book:http://www.amazon.com/Sewing-Revised-Updated-Knitting-Magazine/dp/1933027002/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269758900&sr=8-1

High fashion:http://www.amazon.com/Fashion-Sewing-Secrets-Worlds-Designers/dp/1579544150/ref=pd_sim_b_28

You can definitely get teh vogue one at teh library.

Another thing I would highly recommend is to purchase a serger. It cuts down on time and finishes all of your seams to keep things from raveling. It can cost a decent chunk up front, but if you are planning to make clothes, I've found that it keeps them neat on the inside and makes them last longer to fave nicely finished seams.

There are professional ways and means to copy garments. Claire Sheaffer's book "High Fashion Sewing Secrets From the World's Best Designers" has a chapter on how this is done. It's an oldie (and a goodie!) and should be available on Amazon. Yes , it is! https://www.amazon.ca/Fashion-Sewing-Secrets-Worlds-Designers/dp/1579544150/ref=pd_sbs_14_10?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1579544150&pd_rd_r=35a7ff71-7152-11e9-88ae-891106fe0638&pd_rd_w=5ZWsG&pd_rd_wg=DvgdJ&pf_rd_p=5dcda75b-8643-4da3-9bb1-5c0233790500&pf_rd_r=3XCBGDYGENZN5DBSWS7G&psc=1&refRID=3XCBGDYGENZN5DBSWS7G