roguequilter, I think I was in the same Home Ec class. I'd started helping my mom and grandmother cook when I was 5, was in 4H at 10, baking, cooking some simple sewing, skirts, pajamas. Another grandmother sold sewing machines and taught machine embroidery, in the 50's. She also had a college degree to teach Home Ec.
So at 13, I was getting supper every night for a family of 5, my mom worked, my sibling did the dishes. I fixed roasts, in a pressure cooker, baked cakes, apple dumplings, all kinds of good things for dessert, made meatloaf, fried chicken, etc. And with this age came Home Ec. Let's learn to cook, put a lettuce leaf on a plate, put a large spoonful of cottage on top, open large can of peach halves, put one half atop cottage cheese. Now you have a great dessert. Go home and fix it tonight. I went home and whipped up a peach cobbler, along with salmon patties with creamed peas and potatoes. So went my half year of home ec, oh yes and the torn apron.
When I married my mother in law made my beautiful gown, she'd been sewing many years. And I fell right into garment sewing. I'm very short and anything I bought had to be hemmed anyhow. Being retired now, I don't need many clothes, but I still sew off and on, quilt now and them, but small things. Florida is just to warm to spend time on beautiful full quilts. I love seeing the things on here and just maybe I will get hooked, but table runners and wall hangings I like to do best, for gifts.