Sewing to make bridal dresses

Why do you want to learn sewing?   

I want to become a female MacGyver.  Now, I won't necessarily have countless episodes where I will need sewing skills to save me from death; however, knowing the skill will come in handy for everyday life situations.  For instance, as a working woman, I own a fair share of nice dress pants.  Sadly though, I'm not the ideal model height of 5'9", and those dress pants always come 31 inches-long.  If I knew how to sew, I could hem these pants myself without a two-day wait.  Moreover, I could save a pocketful of money...both pockets, full.  Take my girl friend, Jen, for example.  She's an incredibly talented young woman and extremely versatile in terms of her craft.  For our friend, Colleen's wedding, Jen designed and sewed all of the bridesmaids' dresses.  Yes, all six of them tailored for every inch and curve for each individivual bridesmaid.  Colleen saved tons of money through the "homie hook-up" and Jen's name and skills were highly recgonized in front of all Colleen's friends and family (over 200 people). Ultimately, I would want to learn how to sew for practical reasons...and to imagine myself as a fashion designer. 

What do you think would be most challenging?  

Precision.  Looking at the dresses Jen made for Colleen's bridesmaids and I think of two things: 1) A huge time committment and 2) tailoring for the perfect fit.  Sewing on a grand scale (i.e. creating dresses) obviously requires more time and effort than hemming pants.  In any case, sewing requires attention to detail and knowing the intricacies to whatever it is you're sewing.  Lastly, I would be afraid to prick or pierce myself either through a single needle or by the machine.  

Describe your ideal instructor.

My ideal instructor is someone who is well-rounded and with significant experience in sewing.  Someone like Jen would be the perfect instructor.  She loves designing, using her creativity and is pleasing to work with.  Moreover, she loves taking on challenges and going beyond her boundaries.   If Jen taught me, I know she would be highly encouraging and sensative to my learning process.