I made my own skirts and dresses in the fifties. Many of us did. I enjoyed sewing then, I still do, and my clothing was one of a kind.
Yes, in those days girls usually learned to sew.
Even when I was a teenager in the 70s, most did. I think it was more of a flyover country thing. A lot of them were in 4-H, FHA(future homemakers of America) and things like that.