My mother was a beautiful sewer and made us great outfits that didn't look home made...at least not to me. I watched her sew a lot of my life, so those had to be the early lessons, had home-ec in school too.
My greatest lesson was when my mother taught me to make my first outfit. It was a green suit for my sisters wedding. A lined jacket and skirt. I was so proud of that outfit and can see it like it was today. Her lesson on that was to take my time, read the directions and follow them. It worked.