Goin' Fishing - Up a Lazy River - Neptune

I am new to quilting, so I have spent a LOT of time on the internet checking out this site and that site; following link to link to link. I came across multiple patterns, read articles, collected a book or two, just so I could learn the basics. I spent some time walking around the fabric aisles and bought a bunch of remnants so I could practice on. I also bought a pattern or two that I thought was especially interesting.

I love anything having to do with fish or the sea, so I was excited to see this one pattern called "Up a Lazy River" by Carolyn Griffin. I thought it looked pretty easy to make, and didn't seem to involve a lot of intricate cutting or sewing. I bought it with no idea of what I was going to do with it, or what fabric I would use to sew my fish.I was thinking that I might never find a fabric style that I would like to use for the fish until I ended up skimming through different fabrics at this website and came across the Neptune Collection by Tula Pink for Moda. I thought it was some of the prettiest fabric. I loved the colors and the patterns, but as a beginner, I couldn't see myself jumping into a huge expenditure without feeling confident in my skills.
So now, 4 months later I gave in. I had kept checking the website periodically to make sure the fabric was still available, a pack of fat quarters, a layer cake and a jelly roll. Plus I knew I couldn't make the quilt without using the same fabric as backing. I saved up my pennies and placed my order. It just arrived this weekend. What a difference in the quality and feel of the fabric. It's so beautiful I don't even want to imagine cutting it, but I am looking forward to finally starting that quilt.

Will take pics of my progress as I go along. To be sure I will be measuring 10x before I cut once.