Practice, Practice, Practice...

Before diving in with a sewing project, it's not a bad idea to get a few scraps to practice sewing and ripping out seams on. Most fabric stores will sell "Remnants" for cheap (A Remnant is a bit of fabric leftover on the bolt that is less than 2 yards and unlikely to be enough for a project). Pick up a couple of remnants and practice cutting, pin basting, finishing a raw edge, sewing a seam, and ironing, this way, you'll be more comfortable with these basic procedures when it's time to do the real thing.