Wow you all started young! As a child I was only ever taught handsewing, at home and at school (can you believe that there was no machine in the home ec room, and this was not a poorly equipped school either). It just was not part of my education to use a machine. I was always fascinated but to me it was something mysterious- the workings of my mother's Alfa were as alien to me as the workings of my Dad's car.
It took me a long time to realise that I needed to get myself a machine- I was already married with three kids and needed a hobby that I could do at home as I couldn't get out much.