Thanks for opening up such a painful vein. Expectations are what kills relationships; wrongful expectations as well as too high of expectations. I successfully completed and sold three crib quilts for newborns, all to one friend/customer, and I learned to go with her to the fabric store; let her pick some of the fabrics, and let her see some of my stash (baby prints and pastels) to select from. And one final Coup-de-grace, which I'm proud of sharing with all of you:
Once I had the basic squares completed, and the sashing cut, I took it to her and showed her: and I let her give me her opinion: I learned what her likes and dislikes were. The result was totally abandoning all the darker pinks, sticking to only the palest. I compromised my initial vision, and won three Commissions! Work with your client as your co-creator... and Good Luck.