American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine always makes our quilts look as nice in the magazine as they do in person. We’ve started doing a lot of masculine quilts or quilts in what the editors refer to as “livable colors” because we’ve had such a wonderful response from readers who want to make quilts to accommodate the men in their lives. As one woman who called to order the kit said, “My husband has no interest in sleeping under pink florals so this is a compromise we can both live with.”
What do you think? Do you have a hard time finding fabrics or patterns that are appropriate for men?
craftnectar.com 
I better sew up the previous kit… Loved this quilt the second I saw it. What color solid did you use? (My assumption being that it is a Kona.)
In response to Amy’s question, it’s not a solid. It’s a tone-on-tone.
Hi Weeks,
Yes–I find it very hard to find quality quilting weight cottons in masculine but not drab colors. So much of what I see is large scale prints, florals, and lots of colorways that are too bright/girly for an appropriate quilt that would “go” with your average house. I think it’s a neglected market in the quilting world. I really like this quilt, as well as your “my guy” quilt in a previous issue. Keep up the good work!
Mary
Really good strong colors!
Got my copy of APQ this weekend and absolutely LOVED your new quilt. Yes I do have trouble finding ‘men’ fabrics. I may find one and then have to fill in with plaids or mottles. Keep up the GREAT work you two!
It looks really nice. I would surely sleep under it.
I think that many quilters, like myself, do not gravitate towards pinks and reds and what not. So, I think it is all in how you put the colors together that makes it more masculine or feminine. I don’t do hearts, feminine things, and what not. It is just not my thing. So, maybe that makes for a happier husband in my house.
I have a girlfriend with a colorblind husband who is great at helping her pick out the right color that makes the quilt punch.
Am I having a hard time? YES! While I will admit that we’ve seen a few lines in recent months with “themes” for men, these haven’t had mass appeal. I think those have been TOO targeted (I don’t want beer and hardware fabric for items crafted for my two sons aged 8 and 10).
Mingle by Monaluna is a range that I think could be made masculine by just changing the color scheme. So at least I feel as though there is a designer that is close.
I loved My Guy and I adore Band Together. I am getting ready to piece My Guy from striped men’s shirts I thrifted. (Fabric manufacturers you lost a sale) In fact I plan to piece a block from all the designer labels (Ralph, Tommy, Nautica, J Crew, etc) from the shirts. I am starting to look for fabrics for an Orange Band Together now. Any hints on where to find the tone on tone solids?
Another fantastic quilt pattern. Please keep those submissions to APQ coming—you’re the key reason I keep renewing my subscription!
Shari, I totally know what you mean about the masculine novelty fabrics. It’s hard to imagine widespread use for that. As for your question about tone-on-tone fabrics, it used to be that stores would have “color walls” filled with tone-on-tones and you could assemble a good palette from there, but the last two times I’ve been in quilt shops it was “all girly, all the time.” Although I always want to give my business to local quilt shops, I do end up buying tone-on-tones online when I can’t find them locally. It’s really helpful if they have a virtual design wall so you can see if the various oranges look good together. There aren’t many lines of tone-on-tones but if you do an online store search, you should find a bunch of them. My other trick is to keep stamp-sized swatches of fabrics I’ve got that I need to match in my wallet in case I find myself unexpectedly near a fabric store when I’m out of town or someplace new.
Thanks for the kind words about APQ. I know the editors would love to hear your thoughts.
I do love this quilt. My husband has responded well to a quilt that I made primarily in red & white prints, not really minding that there were some calico florals, and another that was olive & lavender tone-on-tone prints with natural linen. I wouldn’t normally expect him to like purple, but he liked the way the colors coordinated. I think both were more about the design and the overall feel of the quilts than a particular fabric being “masculine” or “feminine”.
Love the new quilt pattern. Congrats. exciting! I love its indigoness. the strict color story is really modern.
I just asked my husband if he felt he couldn’t cuddle or sleep florals and he laughed… “like fabric is going to define my manhood”
although I recently made two quilts for my adult step kids and did circles for the girl and log cabin for the boy. I used many of the same fabrics for the two but added really big modern florals to hers and plaid to his. Other than that they were close to the same choices.
Lately I have been really into dots and pindots paired with plaids …
and really off novelties like cards and poker chips.
Howdy! I just made this quilt and posted it on my blog. http://nachomamasquilt.blogspot.com/2010/03/totally-blue.html
Thought you might want to see it. I loved making it and am dying to make another in another color scheme!