Sewing Machines and Clothing

I look at photos of people in fancy dress like in the glitterati_club and I want to play too. Since no one is going to magically descend from the sky and make me fancy clothes I'm toying with the idea of learning how to make my own. We all know I need a new hobby, right?

The problem is I'm not sure how to get started. I know I need a sewing machine, fabric, thread, a pattern and stuff like that. What sewing machine. I want to do quilting as well because I doubt my ex-wife is going to make me any more. Is that $100 Brother machine I saw good enough or will it be more frustrating in the long run? Who makes good patterns for a beginner? Do they even make patterns that would fit me or can be easily adjusted?