I’ve been considering for some time now making a set of cockpit cushions. I didn’t want to screw it up, so I first tried a few different projects to get a feel for sewing, which I only just picked up about a month and a half ago. More about those projects here: http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/entry.php?312-Sew-me-the-money
Sailrite, which makes money selling materials to DIYers, also has a broad array of free instructional videos that demystify the art of sewing...