Wow, all of you learned so young. I took Home Ec in junior high but we weren't taught to sew anything. A girl the previous semester had sewn the machine needle through her finger and thus it was deemed too dangerous for any of us kids to use the machines. :( The first time I sewed anything I made dresses for my girls and I was in my mid-late 20's. I didn't have any help and while the dresses turned out amazing, the process was a nightmare and after making a handful of dresses for each of them I quit sewing. Then back in January of 1992 a niece was getting married and I needed a wedding gift. We were very poor and I decided that I could make a quilt. I'd never made one before, didn't know anyone who could make one, but I was certain I could do it and that it wouldn't cost very much. ...Yes, I'll wait for some of you to stop laughing... I finished that wedding quilt in six weeks; not bad for something that was cut out with scissors and hand quilted. It was a bargello style quilt that I had seen done on Simply Quilts. I discovered that show and began taping them and that is how I learned to quilt. Sadly, I didn't know enough and I did not do anywhere near enough quilting on it. After my ex's niece washed it a dozen times the batting all wadded up in the bottom of one corner of the quilt.
That was over eighteen years ago and I'm still quilting almost every day. I haven't made a single dress since my girls were younger and I have no plans to learn. Quilting is my happy place. :D