Yes, learning a skill is worth all the time you spent on it, swearing and tearing you hair and throwing things against the wall (or at least wanting to do it). And I stopped saying "Oh, it's not that difficult" - because it is. Without investing all the time, the blood, sweat and tears we wouldn't be able to show us our needlework :)
Regarding your home-economic lessons: I remember the horror that fiber craft lessons were. Because girls, of course, couldn't choose woodwork or whatever the boys did which I would have preferred. Though boys could choose which one they wanted to do - don't ask me why.
Anyway, there was no sewing or cooking. Knitting, crochet, cross stitch - nothing useful, only this frilly stuff where most of the girl's mothers finished the work. Well, my mother didn't. She grew up poor before and during WW2 and for her knitting etc. was connected with having to do it because there was no money to buy it or even nothing to buy at all (because of rationing).
I took it up again after decades and was quite astonished how much I remembered :)
I KNOW! Why can't girls also do that cool crafty stuff? I would've loved to do woodwork. My dad and brother are amazing with carpentry and I think it is so rewarding making your own furniture (for example)
Thank you for sharing a little of your history. How interesting! You mother must've had a very hard life and yet she had all the skills. It's like riding a bicycle. Once you know how it comes back again