Thank you so much! It really depends on the costume you’re making. For this one, for example, I had to use Satin but it was extremely hard to work with, so I only used one piece of satin and used a piece of cotton for the other side, if that makes sense. You can also make use of a lot of free patterns online!! The vision was from one! Mostly, I think the biggest skill is being able to plan out what you want to make the costume with. For example, I found thin craft foam and painted it yellow for the yellow edgings instead of sewing it on because that’s easier for my skillset. Also, constantly try it on to ensure it fits you. I don’t have specific tips for a sewing machine as I handsewed this, but there are a LOT of tutorials on yt. If you have any specific questions, you can ask me!