dsj, I'm so thrilled you are doing this for your friend's Mom & if one quilter took time to teach just one other person to quilt, then "Quilting per se" would not be called a "dying art form." Use a lot of hand signs, smiles, claps & jumping up & down when your friend's Mom does even one thing that goes together even half way correctly for encouragement. I'd suggest getting a chalk board to draw off what you're trying to convey. Then, dig into some of your old quilts or UFO's (if you have any you haven't tossed) & have your friend explain to her that you too did not start off perfect in your quilting & that you're still a work in progress. This will be such an encouragement to you to see how she progresses. Ask your friend to tell you the Russian words for a few expressions in Russian so if she leaves the two of you alone that you will be able to converse a bit. Please post & let us know how she & you are progressing. Does the Mother know any English at all?
I lived in Germany 4 yrs in 1970's & know the thrill of learning to figure out how much meat or cheese I wanted the butcher or his wife to cut me so I didn't look like a blundering idiot. They were used to Americans, so knew some English, which made it easier to converse.