Karen Combs Quilts of Illusion are very nice and very do-able. She has a website. Just do a search.

Sandy

My best friend also loves the Bargello quilt that I have made.

It does to this female engineer ;-) I hate sewing clothes (learned from Mom more than 40 years ago on my grandmother's treadle machine), but stumbled into quilting a couple of years ago and love it.

BTW I did make a quilt with some "technical-themed" fabric. Rather than a quilt pattern that looked "engineering-y", I chose to fussy-cut the fabric for the blocks. I did use a more modern pattern (something from Easy Quilts, probably a Tony Jacobson pattern) rather than "traditional" blocks. Both DH (mechanical engineer ) and I (chemical, materials, electrical engineer) gravitate towards that style. Neither of us like Bargello at all.

Michelle

You might take a look at Cherri House's books of quilts influenced by Urban Views and City Lights. Very modern, very clean, not too difficult ; )

I googled "Fabric with blueprints look" and there are many. As for the pattern, I don't know - aybe Disappearing 9-patch?

I would hazard a guess that graphic quilts containing an optical illusion would be appealing to most engineers. There are lots of examples if you google it.

the 3d maze is Labyrinth Walk

https://shop.americanquilter.com/kit...k-pattern.html

and there is a new one out now called San Marco Square
https://shop.americanquilter.com/kit...e-pattern.html

3d blocks stacked on one another is called Tumbling blocks. The One Block Wonder Cubed book has them as Hollow tumbling blocks a very neat 3d effect
http://www.amazon.com/One-Block-Wond...e+block+wonder

I know I am definitely attracted to these types of quilts of illusion but have no idea if an engineer would be. I would think so but don't know any I can ask.

Ask an Engineer. Oh wait, I am one.
You have some good suggestions here. Bargello is great, some intricate log cabins work well because the blocks can be used in so many many ways. The Illusions book is pretty good too. Tumbling blocks.. nice but it will get boring after awhile. Remember males like dark rich saturated colors, fall and winter themed.
Engineers like complex patterns with simple solutions. The best engineers love elegant solutions that require a minimum of work. It's how we think.

tim in san jose

I'm not an engineer, but I'm fascinated by the Labyrinth Walk pattern.

I really like all the suggestions everyone is posting. It is giving me some great ideas on how I can come up with something that my son will both like and will be a tribute to his graduation from college.