Sally asked about the time it took - I would say that overall, it took about 5 to 6 hours including cutting (thanks Sally for the pattern idea). Of course, the ironing of fabrics took a while.
omak - that blue was a kind of "whirlpool" looking fabric. It went from a deep navy to a light turquoise and there were circles up to about about 10 inches in diameter. It worked perfectly for a pattern such as this.
Thanks again for you praises - I am looking forward to seeing items from others here -