Hi again.....this time I am asking for some thoughts about what we can give our hubbies to do during the long winter months.

My husband, as you might have seen on some of the threads, has been busy making me things for my sewing room..cutting table, thread cabinet, extension table, etc.....

Right about this time, he is at a loss for things to keep him busy. When we were in Florida in the spring, I decided that I would like to have outdoor quilt blocks for my garden shade for back home in Jersey.....
Well, I drew up a few blocks that I thought would be nice. He got the wood, cut it to size (approx...20"x20") primed the surface and then drew the pattern I gave him on the fronts of each piece of wood.

Like usual, it was set aside after I taped it with painters' tape to ready it
for the color (as we might call it piecing when using fabric).
Well, that's as far as I got with it.....so now that the weather is getting a bit chillier, I suggested that he might do the paint-quilting on our outdoor blocks....he seemed interested...so

I was wondering if any of you ladies and gents have spouses who might like to get their fingers into a bit of quilting....regardless of methods.

MaryJane in NJ

Hmmmm I like your idea of the outdoor blocks, However, I am the one that knows how to use the scroll saw and the belt sander etc. My Dh wouldn't get into that one!!!

Well, he could also make you a thread rack to hold all your tall spools. I sure could use one!

Buy a vintage machine and tell him to restore it for you.

Billy

My dad actually had my mom teach him to hand quilt. He finished a very old quilt his aunt had done, but never finished. The design was already marked, he just had to stitch. I believe he now wants mom to show him how to use the machine.

My husband can do any project. When he gets overly bored some room gets redone. If I don't want to live in a mess, I design stools, book cases, shelves and such for him to make and give away.

sewnsewer2....

good idea for the tall spools.......if I used them....but I don't.

he did make small table top holders for spools and bobbins which are nice to
have next to the machine when having to change colors often.

I think that today I will get the paints ready for the outdoor blocks and get him started on that....that is, after I return from a trip to the LQS........they have some Christmas fabric that I can't wait to get my hands on.

Thanks again for your input on these projects...hoping to keep him busy.

MaryJane

Mary Jane, We Jersey Girls think alike, I asked DH to make me a wooden quilt block to hang next to our front door. Not much progress yet but it might be a good project for him during the Winter months.

See you live in Spring Lake, I'm not too far away up above Red Bank in Hazlet. May in Jersey

sounds much like I had in mind with the wooden blocks. Have you gone online and looked at the quilted barns in the southern states..
it's where I got the idea...

http://www.quilttrailswnc.org/

http://kentuckyquiltline.com/

check these out.....good reading and such good ideas........

when Charlie gets going on the blocks, I will post the finished product...they may just be going to Florida with us in December.
paintsboard, directions and all......

Perhaps one day we could meet for coffee, midway between Hazlet and SL

Have a good day....MaryJane

lisa_wanna_b_ quilter

Sounds good.....I have had my hubby make small table spool and bobbin holders and I gave them as gifts at a Christmas luncheon......they were well appreciated.