Amy Butler fabrics and colors tend to look really nice with a fair amount of white or gray to give the eye a place to rest. I've seen lovely, very simple quilts made with these fabrics-- stacked coins with a pure white sashing. Nickels and dimes, with a subtle gray on gray for the columns.

RST

I love both traditional and modern fabrics/quilts.
In my opinion modern fabrics are not suitable to all traditional blocks. KFasset quilts for instance are in general repetition of a simple block using lots of different colors and prints. Besides flickr "modern quilts" suggested before, there are Elizabeth Hartman and Amanda Jean blogspots with lots of ideas and you can also visit some of the blogs they list.

These are great fabrics for a college girl. They would be awesome for a stack and whack kalidescope quilt they are amazing how they turn out, with a plain sashing and use one of the stripe fabrics for a wide border.
Robert

I made this pattern from a bunch of FQs with many of the same colors. It's easy - 16 patch blocks in a square and 46/40 or fight blocks. Made up really, really quickly. I used a WOW for the background fabric.

Love the fabric! Check out the BQ series from Maple Island. Great for big prints! Maybe even get one of her college logo t-shirts for one of the blocks if it remotely matches

I have made two of these Memories quilts, I think the fabrics would work well with this pattern. The pattern originally used 10" Charm Squares.

http://ballaratpatchwork.com.au/scra...loads/memories

Not done a link before so it may not work, if it doesn't google Memories Quilts.

I go to the library and check out a big stack of quilt books and usually end up with way too many future things to do

Unless this is a surprise, I'd give the young lady the option of choosing. Show her three options and let her choose. Is she interested in the lovely combination of colors? The strip quilt or brick road would be fine. The large prints? Turning 20 of some of the other ideas. Is there a print she favors over the others? Leave it big as a focus, and whittle the others into sashing or smaller blocks. I feel your pain. I often can't get into quilting a project when I don't love the fabric. On the other-hand, when the project is for a special person, that can overshadow the dislike for their color choice.

Those are not my normal colors/prints either. I agree with others who say to add some solids. Maybe cream and/or black?

Check out these amazing free quilt patterns for the big, modern prints:

http://www.artgalleryfabrics.com/projects/index.shtml