For years, she's been trying to make a pie crust. I can appreciate her frustration. I didn't master pie crusts until well into adulthood, when a generous chef took me into his kitchen one day. We worked elbow to elbow, blending butter into flour until I understood what pastry dough should feel like. Until then, I'd been blindly following recipes.
Pie crusts require some intuitive sense.
After making a few, I knew when the fat was too warm, when the dough was too dry. Only experience teaches that. If you're still unsure about pastry making, try this recipe for Apple-Raisin Galette. It' s very easy and looks marvelous. What's more, you have enough ingredients to make two desserts.