craftgrrl | A couple of sewing questions

The following are in regards to clothes sewing:

(1) I received my initial sewing instruction while living in Central America, where seamstresses are very common and alteration or custom clothing is dirt cheap. All the seamstresses I met there had never worked off formal patterns. Either they made newspaper patterns from existing clothes you wanted copied or studied a magazine picture you chose. They just understood the techniques of sewing and applied them. I myself am hugely stymied and challenged by interpreting formal patterns, and wish I could find someone to continue my education in sewing the non-pattern way. I've also heard that many Asian seamstresses also don't work off patterns. So here comes my (first) question: does anyone know any resources out there that teach sewing from this perspective?

(2) Where can I get a dress dummy made to my exact proportions?