I commend you on being a beginner and wanting to tackle such a HUGE challenge ahead with this material you've chosen! Personally, and I've been a quilter for 40-something years - I would not tackle this project as a newbie. Something simpler like squares with/without borders would be more appropriate for a beginner, in my view. The frustrations of matching the blocks to line up with the borders are such a challenge when first starting out! Congrats to your friend with the upcoming birth - and to you for being such a noble "giving" individual.