PetTheFabric ... Good for you, for willingly giving your time to help these young folks learn about sewing.
Are the two students with you at the same time?
How often are they with you? Eg. weekly? or totally sporadic?
Another factor, are these family? friends' kids? neighbours?
Or how did you get partnered together?
Are you being paid? Or is there any sort of "in kind" agreement with the parents?
Does everything need to be a four hour project?
Could it be a continuing series of four hours, building towards one finish?
These are things that will need to be considered with any changes you choose to do.
Sometimes we need to let people be challenged ...
... and let them learn not necessarily from mistakes, but from the challenge in front of them.
And too, expectations vs. results ... as we have often seen here on the QB, we can get in our own way of success, by not being happy with the results. Yet, we have done a great job, in consideration of how long we have been sewing. I think of myself ... things I see stated here on the QB as "not for a beginner" ...OOPS! I broke the rules and did them when I first started quilting. I didn't know I could not, should not do it. Yet it worked and I have often been complimented. We also see different degrees of results, where one is very proud of her work, vs. another looks at it and says, I would never show that to someone!
This could be part of what is going on here ...
... consider if your student is happy with her results?
... and not worried about achieving your expectations?
Sorry ... if this is a bit of tough love,
but perhaps your student is happy with what she is achieving?
And yes, maybe she is ready to tackle that velvet project,
and will be more than thrilled with something completed
but not totally pristine in a true sewist's mind?
What's the worst thing that could happen?
(and that could be asked along with each of the earlier questions too)
Good Luck PetTheFabric ... Your frustrations show you care!
Who knows, you may have a future "name" designer in your care!