Geared for Guys

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I may not be the typical guy, but the idea of stuff for guys usually confuses me. Representations of guys on TV and in advertising give an odd and disturbing perspective: seeing enough Axe deodorant ads and the pre-game graphics for football make the idea of stuff for guys seem a little icky. And it seems to me that far too often the craft world has accepted these perceptions and has just left men out of the picture, which is why I was so pleased when I read Emily Herrick’s new e-book Geared for Guys.

It wasn’t so much the fact that it was a book of patterns aimed at guys (the patterns would be great for anybody); rather I really appreciated how she wrote about sewing for men. Almost everything in most guys’ experience teaches them to not care about the nuances of color: heck, have you been to a department store lately? (It’s terrible for guys). And don’t get me started on all the social pressures (starting at childhood) pushing guys to be willfully oblivious to such things. Hence asking many men what they like can be an incredibly complex question.

I especially appreciate Emily’s section on color in which she touches on this dilemma. And instead of getting frustrated with the men in our lives, she asks us (the quilters/sewists) to do the work, to know the person we are sewing for, to look to their lives for inspiration. There are a million clues out there telling us what the men we are sewing for like; it is our job to puzzle that out. I’m pretty sure any guy would love to have a quilt made for him, but the key is to make it for him, not to make what we want him to want.

And on top of that the patterns are wonderful: I am in love with Oddball. It is both elegant and graphic. Depending on the color combinations you choose it beautifully lends itself to be either elegantly subtle or powerfully graphic.

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Actually I am also in love with Caution for the same reason.

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What I would really love to see is a dozen of each of these made by twenty-four different people. I think all the variations together would be just amazing.

Another thing I love about these quilts is that they seem to lend themselves to really gentle quilting. These patterns are truly about making quilts to be used, to be a part of someone’s life, which is something I really appreciate in quilts. They beg to go from the bedroom to the sofa and look great everywhere. (Not that men only go to the bedroom and the sofa, but that is generally where a quilt is going to be used, right?)

Anyway, thanks Emily so much for asking me to be a part of the blog tour. It is truly my pleasure. Congratulations and yay, you!!!

Oh, and guess what. Emily is letting me give away a copy of Geared for Guys, which is fantastic. All you need to do is leave a comment below and I’ll announce the winner on June 1st. Yay!!!

And don’t forget to hit tomorrow’s blog tour stop over at One Shabby Chick!!!

Hugs,
T

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