My son likes Snails trail and Bow tie.

I don't think the pattern is as important as the colors and fabric patterns (no flowers or cutsie ones). Almost any pattern can be made to look masculine with the right fabric choices - and they don't necessarily have to dark and drab.

I think it's the fabric more than the pattern that makes a quilt "feminine" vs. masculine. Granted, I would stay clear of frilly florals and most appliques, but other than that - anything goes.

How about using that new Gerda fabric? It was developed with guys in mind. Check it out online, then buy it from Threads of Time in Danville IL. They'll ship it to you!

Eleanor Burns' Bear in the woods is a great masculine quilt that is absolutely stunning. Her book takes you through it step by step.

I made DH a "John Deere" flannel quilt using Yellow Brick Road, Turning Twenty AGAIN is great with any of his favorite colors or themed fabrics. I did one for a son using flannels from the "Woolies" line in I believe it is the Snapshots pattern from Terry Atkinson's Happy Hour book or one of her other books. (I just couldn't put my hands on it just now.) The hard part is knowing just how many quilts is enough!!

From MadQuilter: I think it's the fabric more than the pattern that makes a quilt "feminine" vs. masculine. Granted, I would stay clear of frilly florals and most appliques, but other than that - anything goes.


I think this is the best answer yet! It is definitely the fabric much more so than the pattern!

I made my son-in-law a Thousand pyramids quilt out of green and brown/tan flannel that were leaves/trees, etc. For the backing, I used a flannel camouflage fabric. He used to be a Marine. He's had it a long time and likes it. It's very easy to put together and you can stitch in the ditch for the quilting.
Verna in SoCal

What does your son do or what philosophy, life viewpoint does he have and what are his favourite colours?

I have one son who is a lawyer and there are several nice patterns suggesting that profession - barrister's block which is quite nice and 2 or 3 others. I'd try to work two squares together and try for a secondary pattern if I could design it. Not sure of his colour preferences right now - he is 42, but would make it with his hair colour (dark blond-y red now, was strawberry blond as a baby and little boy), eye (blue-grey) and lip (sort of maroon-y rose) colours and work a few other contrasts and complimentaries into it. He is single at the moment, but I'd want it to be in colours a new wife would also enjoy.

My younger son is cabinet maker by training and artist/designer of interior airbus structures. There are two blocks, carpenter's square, and carpenter's circle I might combine the two somehow hoping again for some secondary patterns. He has a stated preference for muted neutral colours in clothing which would make for a terrible dull quilt, so I'd look for some rich contrasting neutral and add a dashes of rainbow colours. He is married with three great kids so I'd hope it could appeal to all of them. I might be fun to make smaller less complex versions of either one block or another to symbolize 'chips off the old block' just for a lark.

This is truly dreaming in technicolour as my time is so taken up with work I haven't done one stitch for a month! and have so many ufos it would be immoral or insane or both to start anything else before finishing at least half of them!!!!

What is 'that new Gerda fabric'? where can I take a look at it online? Sounds intriguing!