Any chance that one of the patterns you want to make will work well in colors for her? That way you're doing 2 things at once. I've made many quilts from Anka's Treasures books. I love how well written they are and they come together quite nicely. For my niece, I made Sweet Pea, (had to size it up from a throw..) And for my oldest daughter, Gypsy girl. Very scrappy and lovely. My younger daughter's bed quilt is Knotted Squares by Amy Ellis from her book Modern Basics. That one is lovely, but each of the 30 or so blocks has 28 pieces.
Good luck with your decision.