My "push" to learn to quilt came from a top that my great-grandfather made. I hope to hand quilt it next year.
Story goes that he was watching "the church ladies" cut the fabric and made a comment that there was a better/faster/more efficient way to do it. So he got the "if you think it should be done that way, go do it" type response. So, he did! He made hundreds of tops, using his own cutting method, that he would give to them to quilt up and donate. Someone in the family made sure enough tops were set aside so that each of his great-grandchildren could have one.
I learned recently that my grampa used to make quilt blocks as well. He would make the blocks and then give them to his mom and sister to put together and quilt. I was closest to my grampa, of all my grandparent/aunts/uncles, and wish I had one of his blocks.
My guess is that some of those quilts came out of prisons/POW camps, so the "made by a man" is known that way, even if the name of the creator isn't. I've seen some paper art (including a jewelry chest) that was made in a prison in Edinburgh, and the detail is amazing, especially when considering the limited material resources.