If I am in the mood to make a quilt to give away, I don't put alot of work into a gift for someone I don't have a strong emotional attachment to, particularly a baby quilt, I'll use a large pinwheel block,or something easy, and maybe tie it ( I prefer to hand quilt).
The people I chum around with don't do anything by hand, so they're still impressed. I get the satisfaction of passing something handmade, and no heart ache about the loss. Win, win.