jcrow

Elise 1 has a very nice quilt that would look wonderful in blues and greys like you want to use. You can use all different shades of blues and greys and it would come out great. Her quilt isn't really difficult like some quilts, and it's very attractive looking and modern styled. If it were me and I wanted to use those colors, I would go with her quilt. I like the modern non sex look of it.

LoisM

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

Sierra

What are your husband's interest? I've made an astronomy quilt for one of my sons who is fascinated by the that subject (I could have done an astronaut quilt for him too) and he was astounded that it was so obviously made just for him! Another lives in Alaska and so he got a camping hunter quilt and another with a local bear native motif (which won a first prize for original wall art... and it was 8'x6'!) Another is into fantasy and I found some wonderful designs on two different fabrics and he got dragons, Merlins, and weird half cattle figures, etc. My DH just got his first quilt this past year and it is a desert scene (he loves the Sonora) and because it turned out too heavy for the bed he put it up on the wall and I'm making him a quilt using Navajo mimbas (pictorgraphy) because he worked with Indian tribes while in Arizona, long before I met him. My 14 year old Gson asked for an "around the world" animals quilt... and he wanted a map of the world with the animals on or near the country they belong to! DH counted and told me there were 172 appiiques on that quilt!!!! But the boy was going to South Africa as an exchange student and whatever he wanted he got! Wherever the interest lies.... Sports? Cars? Music? I don't dumb down the colors because so many men are at least partially color blind. I don't use pinks or lavenders (unless it is appropriate for the receiver and he wants them), but I use rich browns, yellows, greens, blues.... whatever fits.

Hope this helps. I bet that no matter what you make he will be thrilled because he must have some sense of how much work it takes to make a quilt. If it touches his interest that will touch his heart too.

TanyaL

There should be something about the quilt that your brother can tell it was made for him, and not his name on it , and that it isn't a quilt for just any man - or worse, any woman who doesn't like frilly, feminine things. He should be able to look at it and say, This tells me it was made for me, not your husband, or son or the man across the street. It should be that personal. In fact, if he doesn't like it, some other man might say, oh, it was too personalized for your brother. It doesn't fit my personality. Then you know it is your brother's quilt.

kathyd

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

stchenfool

i agree i would suggest geared for guyz too nice one

ctipton

vote for elise 1

Jean in Ohio13452

Love the Colors in the Pictures on reply #7 and #9.

QM

My DH loves his NY Beaty quit, but not everyone would. I made my son a bearpaw quilt and one for a friend. a center of a Mariner's Compass is a sure hit too. When I was doing a lot of auction quilts, what brought in the most money was combinations of stars and animal prints. I've made stars forthe DGSs.

Ioftheneedle

Magic squares pattern is nice.