Monday 19 November 2012

Ask a quilting man

I have mentioned before that my boyfriend quilts.

His first quilt

Although there are some seriously talented and famous male quilters out there (Kaffe Fassett probably being the most widely known), men who quilt are a bit of an anomaly.

Quilts in progress - both these tops are now complete

Thomas Knauer, sewist, quilter and fabric designer, has done a series over at Sew, Mama, Sew!, called Sew, Papa, Sew!: Thoughts on Fatherhood, Sewing, and Gender Expectations (subsequent posts here and here).

Experimental work in progress

I found Thomas' thoughts on being a male quilter really interesting, and I would love to know a bit more about other male quilters out there.  To start with, I thought I would interview my boyfriend about his quilting.  Then, I thought I would approach other male quilters to see if they are willing to be interviewed for my blog.

But, I need your help.  I have a few questions in mind, but I would love to know what you are interested in finding out.  Also, I have a few male blogging quilters in mind to approach, but if you have any suggestions, please let me know.

8 comments:

Susan said...

Does your boyfriends mates know he quilts? What do they say and think about him having a predominantly female 'hobby'? Who taught him to sew? Why? ...that's a start!

Nat at Made in Home said...

It would be interesting to know how they approach colours and patterns..

Ruby in the Dust said...

great topic! I would be curious about their thoughts on fabric: do they prefer solids/ are they happy with the range of prints out there/ do they feel they need to stick to a more 'male' colour palette?

Gillian Grimmett said...

I don't know any guys that sew, quilt, whatever, so I am fascinated. Does this mean he understands your fabric obsession and you are allowed to buy as much fabric as you want without feeling guilty?? And do you fight over fabric? Very intrigued.

Sarskhia said...

Hope my comment is not going to turn into an epic but there are quite a few questions I’d love to know the answers to. Firstly, I assume in the case of your boyfriend he had ongoing exposure to quilts and the quilting process and there was an ‘I can do that!’ moment. I’d like to hear more about that moment when it shifted from being an object and process of appreciation and became something he, and other male quilters, could actually do. I have wondered whether men, generally speaking, have found the Modern Quilting aesthetic more accessible than the Traditional. And do they design their own quilts? If so, do they find they seek out, or draw inspiration from, the designs of other male quilters? Is there such a thing as a male quilters’ aesthetic? Another comment mentioned the fabric choices male quilters might make and I wondered if some male quilters ever felt limited by the desire not to include fabrics which might be considered ‘un-masculine’ within their quilts. And conversely, were they ever put off by overtly masculine themed fabrics. I think this is more about the balance of fabric and design and I guess I’m wondering if men approach it any differently to women. Does all this make sense? I would love to hear more about men who quilt. Their motives and what they gain from the experience.

Sarskhia said...

Oh and ... um ... I really love your quilts :)

Adrianne @ On the Windy Side said...

Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment Sarskhia. I'm so glad this is something (at least some) people are curious about. I would normally reply by email but you are a no-reply blogger. If you want to know how to change that, send me an email at adrianneonthewindyside at gmail dot com and I will let you know how to change your settings.

Nic said...

I love his quilts. Especially the shading ones. Would love to see more of his work - does he have a blog too?
As for men who quilt/sew. I'd love to read an interview series. I think it's a shame that sewing is perceived to be a 'female' pursuit by the majority of guys out there. I don't believe that any activity has a gender. I wouldn't expect amazement if I built wooden furniture in my spare time, so why should there be any if a guy likes to sew/quilt. I guess I'd love to hear their thoughts on the issue and if they ever feel self concious about or hide their hobby, or if they give the finger to the whole gender perception issue.
But mostly, I'd just like to see pics if their work :)