That's when I started to sew with my grandma. Mom was really no help in my case, but she always tried to tell me what fabrics & notions to pick. I thought it was so great when I got to go with Grandma to the store & pick out my own fabrics & notions! She would give input if I picked something that simply wouldn't work for what I wanted, but she left the design choices up to me.
As for a gift you could surprise her with ... I'd go with a nice pair of shears or some snips, depending on budget. Best sewing gift I ever received was a pair of Gingher shears. Much safer than a rotary blade & more practical for most projects.