I must have learned the basics from my mother, because I know I made some doll clothes of sorts. Sixth grade Home Ec. set me on the sewing path. With fewer machines than students we often had to wait for a spot, but there was one treadle, which we were all required to use at least once; every one else disliked it, but I loved it and after the first week got to use it every class. We had to make a simple gathered skirt with a zipper for our first project, and because of the pretty border print mother and I found I loved that skirt for years. Eighth grade taught sewing again for a semester, and my graduation present that year was a new sewing machine! Mother sold her old Singer to a neighbor and bought a new White for me, though for both of us to use. Wish I had that Singer now! The White was a zig-zag, very useful, but never did a nice straight stitch like that Singer.
The quilt bug buzzed around me during early high school, but never actually bit until a couple years ago. I did lots of garment sewing and I've saved all my fabric scraps all those years since cuz they might be good for a quilt, but now that I have a good use for scraps I'll be darned if I can find them! They have to be here somewhere, as I keep way too much"this might be good for something" stuff....
All my Home Ec. teachers were at least good and some were excellent; the only bad instructions given were to a friend who decided--against the teacher's recommendation--to make a full circle skirt, when the teacher required a 3" hem in EVERY skirt or dress. That skirt was worn once, in our end of year fashion show, and then went straight to the trash; I tried to get my friend to shorten the skirt and put in a rolled hem, but by then she hated it too much after her hours of hand work and hideous results and dumped it!