Oh gosh, I can only begin to imagine how she felt. You are so kind to be so understanding - I'm not sure many of us would have that kind of grace.
I just saw one of Jenny Doan's tutorials on Missouri Star. Looks super easy, and the end result is really neat with an almost 3-dimensional look to it.
http://land.missouriquiltco.com/illusion-block/
Hope you are able to find something that will work for you!