Does this look o k for a man quilt
 

I have racked my brains trying to decide what to make my 39 year old son for a quilt. I have made everyone else in the family one but him and I didn't want it to look too girlish so I found these patterns from a couple books I had that I really like. I am kind of limited with my fabric choice because I am shopping from my stash for the time being. I tried to put together a patch work block, got it crooked and out of shape [don't you just hate those days!] so I reverted back to good old applique, which I love to do very much.

man quilt
 

I think it would be ok myself I think I would do something like hunting them

The idea is good, I'm just not sure about the bright colors. But you know his taste. Ijust think men, more darker colors. here is a picture of a quilt I did for coworkers brother. The quilt was made from old men ties! The pattern is a freebie at All people quilt website. I think it was called barcode.

That is really neat. I will check that site out too. Thanks for the info. I am going to pin a few more blocks, maybe do some grays or checks with the fish and see how it looks. I believe if I put the tree blocks all around the fish and place the fish squares in the middle with sashing it might turn out kind of cute. All the trees will be green and brown and the fish should lend a masculine feel. Plus I plan on adding a green boarder.

looks fine so far.

Cool idea. How about some more applique: http://www.freeapplique.com/animalpatterns2.html

Site bookmarked
 

I bookmarked the applique site, thanks. I love the bear and the deer which is in our neck of the woods anyway. Here is a few pics of the twin quilts I did last year for my grand kids. The wagon wheels are for the 14 year old girl and the horses and cowboys for the four year old boy. I got the applique patterns from one of Nancy Mahoney's books. I just love her applique work.
Can you tell we love horses?Used to have five at one time but talked hubby into downsizing. I hand quilted both, not extensively, my arthritic fingers are not what they used to be.

Good luck, I'm sure he will like anything you make him. You're grandkids quilts are gorgeous.

Thank you all for the replies. I made my daughter a sunflower quilt too, a regular, I named flowers in my garden. It was a very quilty year for me. lol But this year, God willing, will be too. My sis and I have two wedding quilts to make for a great niece and great nephew who plan on getting married soon, one in August. My own quilt I want to make for myself, a peaches and cream log cabin, will have to be put on hold for a while, unless I can sneak some of the work in between times. :o

I think your appliques are great, but I'd choose something a bit darker for the sashing and borders.

Being male and from a man's perspective I'd love it and he will love it even more since you made it especially for him

Thank you so much again. I will post more when I get some of it sewn together.

That's exactly what I was thinking. Love the trees and fishes but the sashing doesn't seem to fit with it.

It all depends on the guy.

You should ask him. My 27 year old son, when I asked him wanted a Dr. Suess Quilt..I would have never guessed that...and its very bright. He loves it....and takes it everywhere (when he is traveling)...he loves the comments and of course how warm it is.

I think it will be fine for your son. Since you're known for applique, I'm sure he definitely would want a quilt in your style.

You've said that you've made 'everyone else' in the family a quilt, but your 39 yr old son. Did you shop from your stash for them as well? The sashing fabric appears to be in the light turquoise family. In order to make sure it looks 'manly' I'd use darker colors, maybe even solid fabrics. Unless your son likes those types of fabrics you've chosen. That being said, no matter what you make his quilt from, it will keep him warm.

I had the ability to ask each immediate family member what they'd like their quilt to be, and they helped pick out the exact colors. That way I knew they'd like it. For some extended family members, I asked what the color scheme was in the room that I was going to be making the quilt for. Otherwise, they helped in picking out the fabric if they wanted a different color. I always picked out a few yards of coordinating fabrics when making every quilt, that way even if the colors they chose weren't my favorites, I still enjoyed piecing and adding my picks too!

Good luck and hopefully you'll post what the finished project looks like for your 39 year old son.

I have decided to change the sashing to a warm green which will look better. Thanks for the tips. Oh, my son, when I told him he was next on the list for a quilt he said, what do I need a quilt for! He could care less. But I told him he was getting one whether he liked it or not, lol Some day he may appreciate the effort momma put into it, if not then he will have it anyways. This project is more for my therapy than for him at the moment but I know when it is made he will take it and thank me kindly for it and maybe keep it to remember me by. That is my hope anyway.

Looks good. IMO, it's not the pattern so much as the colors and print design that matters.

And your choices fit that bill.

Sounds like a great plan!

Post pics when you are finished....I'm sure he will treasure it...

When I started looking for a pattern for our bedroom quilt, my husband the gun nut said he wanted an oriental theme! It all depends on the taste of the person you are making it for. I like your fish.

Not really, the background fabric is not manly fabric. Think black/white quilt. Dark colors.
Simple patterns usually work best like a 4-patch, D9-patch.
Maybe you have enough fabric to make a 1600 quilt.

I used pattern rail fence in black, browns and grays and a bit of beige. I think they turned out good for guys. One grandson's house is decorated in those colors so a very good match.

Jim, how nice of you to give a man's perspective! I'm not a man BUT I thought it was perfect......glad to know I wasn't off base in my thinking as I loved it! Aileen, can't wait to see the finished quilt! I'm finishing a quilt that I started in the early 90's when I knew nothing about quilting....I am finishing it scrappy......as I can no longer get nor want the colors I started with...dare not post it as I mean I am truly going scrappy and I can just imagine the comments I might get!!!LOL! But, it will be beautiful to me ....or NOT but out of my mom's closet and on MY bed!

I love this Quilt! Thanks for sharing the website info... going to go get it now.

Christine
http://www.quiltdasher.blogspot.com/

My husband wants a grandmother's fan in blues, because he loved the one in yellows that he had as a kid. Every man is different, just like every woman is. Since your son doesn't really care for one and you're doing this for yourself, then make what you like and let it go when you give it to him -- don't be upset if he puts it in a closet and you never see it again. BUT, someday he might decide he wants something, and then let him tell you what he wants.

I see you've decided to change the sashing... I think that's a good idea for a more manly quilt. If your son doesn't want a quilt right now, I'd make it anyway and just keep it to give him at another time. Later he may ask you for one, or you could leave it to him in your will! It would still be his, even if it lived at your house for a while.

I love what you've done for your grandkids' quilts!

Use your stash for dementional bow tie quilt. The variety from your stash would be nice and the bow tie "manly". I used 5inch squares and it went together quick. There are various ways to assemble in a top.

Themes of fish, trees, etc.... If your son hunts, fish, camps, walks the trails... you have a sure winner (even if he is luke warm now.... but, after reading what others have written about people, especially family, using it under the pickup or for the pets... I'd tell him if he doesn't want it now, you'll store it yourself!) Yours' is really a beautiful start!!!!

My grown sons got a fantasy quilt with dragons, Merlin, etc; a NW first nation 5' bear, a crane flying thru hardship (a dear neice he was mentoring had died young). None of those were "manly" but accept for the crane (which is put away) they are all still being used. My DH wanted a desert theme, and later a SW native motif. Unless they belong to a strong "male" group I don't think they particularly "need" something MALE. It's just a blanket.... sort of.

Just a note, my guys all seem very comfortable being men and being gentle, but not a one of them would be caught dead in a bow tie! Isn't that odd?

I think the idea of changing to a darker border and sashing sounds good to me. Betcha he likes the quilt when it is done!

Sorry to go off on a tangent but I have to ask- is this washable? I thought ties were dry clean only?

When making a boy or man's quilt, I don't use pink or purple and absolutely no flowers. Everything else is good.
You appliques will be just fine and blue is for boys or men.

I think you need to be careful on fabric choice, some of those look too whimsical and juvenile. I would use colors of blues, greens, and golds (batiks) for the fish. Rainbow Trout fish have a lot of color. Another good source is to look online at different fish for ideas of color.

Applique is looking good, I would use different fabric (darker) for the sashing/borders. It seems a bit juvenile for that hold of a man. Good luck.

I decided to keep the fish which I am now appliqueing on my machine and go with darker boarders. I like the idea of a bow tie quilt and might make one at a later date, but he loves to fish and he is going through depression and has off and on all his life and to me bright colors are more cheerful. I guess it boils down to what you know about the person and your own personal tastes. Thanks so much for all your help, I wouldn't have changed the boarders without it and it is going to look much better with the warm green. I will post a picture of the top when I have it put together.

It does make a difference when you know the person you are sewing for. Be sure to tell him he needs a quilt to wrap up in when he is feeling down - the quilt will wrap him in love.

My Dad was always cold at night - I made him a chenille cuddler - he used it every night after that and was never cold again. I told him it was all the love stitched into it that kept him warm.

Your appliques are great! Hope he loves it!

With my guys (I have 5 sons and a daughter) I've learned to ask what colors/pattern they want. Sometimes I can predict what they will like and other times they pick something I would not have guessed they would like.