There was a TV show which showed the history of the sewing machine and it stated the before 1950 the purchase of the sewing machine was as important and the family car and in some places where they didn't need a family car it was the most important purchase.
No wonder my grandmother lived so close to her mother, she didn't sew unless she had to. My mother learned to sew from my great grandmother, but her sister learned just enough to sew on buttons and to fix hems.