I think you are on the right track. I recently made a baby quilt for a nonquilting friend's great grandbaby, and I took her to a shop where I knew they had the modern fabrics she wanted. I pulled some that seemed right, and she found a few she liked. I sketched out a design for her to get the idea, and put it together. Later, when we shopped for backing, I met her at another quilt shop which has a HUGE selection. So I got there first and pulled out several possibilities, laying them out on a cutting table beside the finished top. That way she had a manageable number to choose from. She made a good choice and everyone was happy with the quilt.