It's funny that this question came up now. My daughter just turned 33 and she wants me to teach her to sew. I went to Joanne's and bought a bunch of stuff to help teach her what I learned in school. Most things are second nature to me now so this thread has been a good way to jog my memory about what to teach a beginner. I started out by learning to make an apron and then moved on to 'A' line skirts, shirts and dresses. With each item you would learn a basic skill to build on.
I took Home Ec from the mid 60's to '71 so everything I have learned I owe to my Home Ec teacher (:-D thank you Mrs. Beatrice Wood :-D )!!!! I wish that they still taught Home Ec in school now-a-days.