Originally Posted by kluedesigns
i'd stay away from anything floral - actually i'd stay away from all novelty prints but thats just me - i see them as feminine regardless of the design.
if you have to use a pattern i'd go for a paisley. all colors are good except the pastels. red is a nice color thats pleasing to both men and women.
i'd opt for solids, blenders, tone on tone, etc - these fabrics are gender neutral - batiks would be nice.
then for a pattern i'd do a D9P - its a lovely geometric design, is to put together, and is gender neutral.
Men do flowers ... a few, the more deep the color, (although my man does love yellow roses <g>) Some of the best gardeners in the world are men, and if you think about it, most of the handwork we do today, thinking it is "women's work" ... was actually an industry done by MEN ...
The paisley is excellent. DD showed me the most favorite shirt of her husband, and I noticed a couple of things ... the paisley, and the light colored cream/background was MINIMAL.
The D9P -- excellent choice .... men like straight forward, easily comprehended angles ... it is just the way their brain works. There are exceptions (paisley, yellow roses, male gardeners), of course, but for most men, they worry about something that looks fragile, or too easily dirtied ("all that white scares me to DEATH!") ...
I love the log cabin, the D9P, even four patches and stars ... and, then, you will be surprised how much detail your friend's husband will see in your quilting ... they pay attention to some pretty amazing things. <g>