Thread: favorite quilt patterns for manly men?

i love my brother a whole whole lot, but he doesn't really get quilting. that's fair, but in spite of his general lack of enthusiasm and appreciation the time has come to make him one.

ha.

so do you have any favorite patterns for the men you love?

looking at google image search, what seems to mark "manly" quilts are either predominantly grey fabrics or overtly "manly" fabrics (fish, hunting prints, john deere etc.)

my brother hates the outdoors and really would not appreciate a playful sports quilt. he's urban, way way cooler than me and has an elegance in his tastes that would indicate modern quilting as a preference over more trad designs.

i am leaning towards storm at sea in blues and greys, but i really want to fish the board first. give me your best and most favorite ideas!

cheeers!

aileen

Have you looked "Geared for Guys"? Great book...not outsdoorsy. My faveorite one is "Oddball"

I'm currently working on a quilt for dear son-in-law. I'm using the Eleanor Burns "Summer Porch" pattern. It is being done in mostly (95%) batiks. The sashings are a cream w/white circles and the binding will be an orange/yellow print. Lots of geometric prints, nothing flowery here. Some purple, green, blue, red and orange are in the batiks.
I think a manly quilt just shouldn't have flowers in it and nothing pastel. It doesn't have to be black, browns and grays.
kathyd

Yellow Brick Road is my go to pattern for guys.

I especially like Bonnie Hunter's quilts that are made from men's plaid, striped, and checked shirts. I think it's the selection of "manly fabrics" that makes a quilt manly. If a man will wear a plaid shirt, why wouldn't he use a quilt made from plaids?

CHeck out her books, "Scraps and Shirttails". She also has a second volume, "Scraps and Shirttails II". I was able to get them through interlibrary loan at my library.

I also like her Smoky Mountain Stars pattern which is free on her website, quiltville.com.

I am making a Tradewinds quilt for my hubby (link to free pattern below). I am using batiks, blues, greens, rusts, tans, browns. I thought I had a pic, but it must have been in my computer that died. It was very similar to the one in the pattern, but had more tans. It's very easy, just need to be sure to starch your fabric. I didn't use a packaged jelly roll; I cut my own out of yardage that I had. I was going to surprise him with it, but he came home when I was working on it, so I told him it was his...he loves it. Hoping to finish it for Christmas.

http://www.hoffmanfabrics.com/EDocs/...ern%20blue.pdf

Manly doesn't have to be limited to black or grey, sports or camouflage. Blues/Browns go together well, as do blues/greens, fall colors, etc. Batiks are great because there are a lot of earthy designs. I just avoid the flowery ones for guys. For regular fabric, there are a ton of different tonal or blender fabrics, landscape, geometric, solids, marbles, beer cans, muscle cars, motorcycles. The possibilities are endless!

Other patterns for guys: log cabin, bargello are the first to come to mind. Maybe something with larger pieces to show off larger prints.

Originally Posted by katier825

I am making a Tradewinds quilt for my hubby (link to free pattern below). I am using batiks, blues, greens, rusts, tans, browns. I thought I had a pic, but it must have been in my computer that died. It was very similar to the one in the pattern, but had more tans. It's very easy, just need to be sure to starch your fabric. I didn't use a packaged jelly roll; I cut my own out of yardage that I had. I was going to surprise him with it, but he came home when I was working on it, so I told him it was his...he loves it. Hoping to finish it for Christmas.

http://www.hoffmanfabrics.com/EDocs/...ern%20blue.pdf

Manly doesn't have to be limited to black or grey, sports or camouflage. Blues/Browns go together well, as do blues/greens, fall colors, etc. Batiks are great because there are a lot of earthy designs. I just avoid the flowery ones for guys. For regular fabric, there are a ton of different tonal or blender fabrics, landscape, geometric, solids, marbles, beer cans, muscle cars, motorcycles. The possibilities are endless!

Other patterns for guys: log cabin, bargello are the first to come to mind. Maybe something with larger pieces to show off larger prints.

Thanks for the link to the free pattern! It will be perfect for my second son.