I have the good fortune of knowing two couples who are becoming parents very very soon: one couple is having Baby #3 and the other is having Baby #1.  What does that mean for me?  The hustle and bustle of getting baby gifts made and shipped.

Of course, my go-to gift is a baby quilt.  My personal favorite is a Stacked Coins pattern, a la Handmade by Alissa.  But I also love to pull together scraps.  Or, in the case of the in-progress piece below, I like to use what’s given to me.  I’ve simply arranged the 12 blocks from my quilt guild’s last Block Swap and made a sweet little blanket that works for both boys and girls. 

Besides gifts for babies, I need gifts for siblings and parents, as well.  And, I hit a wall.  I needed inspiration and guidance.  So, I turned to the experts:

Anna Maria Horner.  Here’s a woman who knows about babies.  She’s had six!  And she’s got projects for a new baby, parents and siblings in her latest book: Handmade Beginnings.

Amy Butler.  She’s a celebrity among sewing celebrities.  And her fabric designs are versatile and timeless.  Her patterns are easy to follow.  Check out her book of pieces for kids: Little Stitches for Little Ones.

Lotta Jansdotter.  Love her printing techniques.  Why wouldn’t I love her projects for babies?  Cuteness abounds in Lotta Jansdotter’s Simple Sewing for Baby: 24 Projects for Newborns to Toddlers.

I still have much stitching to do on my Wonky Log Cabin Baby Quilt.  And, I have the troublesome problem of choosing just three or four more projects to complete quickly to send with baby gifts.  Gotta get them out soon, though.