The colors she likes to wear should give you a clue as to what she would like to see in the quilt.
When the '30s prints started to become a trend, I couldn't imagine wanting to use them. At the next show I attended a quilter friend submitted a quilt patterned from a Georgia Bonesteel book, used '30s fabric and it was stunning. It reminded me of a summer ice cream festival! Now I want to use those colors, go figure.