I guess I did my job. She left with a mountain of my fabric (LOL), a borrowed cutting mat, Alex Anderson's "Begin Quilting" and a list of tools she absolutely must have. I showed her how to straighten the edge of fabric, measure the strip, square up the ruler and cut with steady pressure (away from yourself, please!). When the result was two perfect 8" squares, her mouth fell open and she held them up and said 'Did we do this on purpose or is this an accident?'
By the time she left, she had seen what to do, but of course had no clue that she can do it. I also sent home with her half of an old bed sheet so she could practice cutting.
She arrived with a little bag containing a yard of a cute focus print, another half yard of a coordinating print, and three or four fat quarters that matched. When we put pencil to paper and worked out the square inch figure that a 6' square quilt would require, she was a bit shocked. It hadn't looked like that much fabric when her MIL made a flannel quilt.
I talked her down to 48" x 60" -- good lap quilt size. And we talked about talking little swatches along on shopping trips so you can tell what goes with what.
All in all it was successful. She'll be back. Several times. And I'm trying to find a good, basic intro to quilting class here locally for her to take.
Oh yeah, I gave her Gwen Marston's web address. It just may save her life.
Sunny