You've received plenty of posts about machines, so I'll stick with the project idea. What I usually do for absolute beginners is cut enough 8.5" muslin squares to make a lap quilt (about 10). Then I draw a 2" line diagonally down the center of 3 or 4 squares. Keep the first square just with the lines on it, sew a strip of fabric along a line of the second square (don't iron the strip back, so she'll know where to sew), a second strip along the facing line of the 3rd square, and then add a 3rd strip to a square that has 2 strips already sewn onto it. Then on a 4th square that is covered with strips, turn it over and trim to the original 8.5" size so she'll see how it turns out. Basically, you're making step-by-step "show and tell" for a string quilt. Package it up with leftovers from your projects. When she's ready to join the squares, you can visit and help her. It's always been a big hit with newbies young and old, male and female.