LOL that was a cute reply!

I think all the guys out there are too busy quilting to be here gabbing 'o)

Norma, Me too!

Frank, it was nice to hear your view on this topic.
As to getting the word between all these grannies I think this is the perfect place. In fact we can all talk at the same time, the forum sorts it all out and we can read the posts one by one .
I'd love more men to comment here

Reetzbobeetz wrote:
Genuine tailoring has almost become a lost art. I know how to tailor thanks to my mother and some very good out of print books my dear late husband found for me. I made his suits, jackets, and even tuxedos (he was a singer and needed them).

There are some historic reports that nomadic men invented knitting because they knitted long strips for their black tents which they sewed together to form the tents. The knitted fabric allowed air through and stopped the sand. It makes sense, but not sure of the truth of this reporting.

And finally, well said about how the men out there may not be able to get in a word edgeways amidst us gabbing old grannies.

My son takes much more interest in my quilts than my daughters. He notices the colours, patterns and overall effect and always comments on what I am doing. I think that he will eventually get involved.

While at one of the classes during IQFOI I noticed that one of the women had a man sitting next to her quietly stitching away. It turned out that he went with his wife to a class on English paper piecing and got hooked. He had made about 8 flowers from hexagons and all through the class we were doing he stitched away without saying a word. He was doing a beautiful job too.

My DH is very interested in what I do and has a lot to say about my colour, design and quilting choices. Mind you, I don't always listen. His grandfather sewed tapestries all the way through his naval career. We are fortunate to still have two of his pieces.

And my uncle was a tailor so he sewed all his life. This is perhaps the more acceptable face of men sewing!

If you ask me the 1950s has a lot to answer for. They seemed to define the roles for men and women in a much more rigid way than before the war. Macho man was born - and he could never do women's work And society still hasn't caught up.

When my son was in primary school I had the privilege of teaching his class to knit. We made Teddy Bears, with bow ties. I loved teaching one particular boy because he was so hopeless at it. But with patience and perseverance we got there in the end. We met him recently and he told me that he still has his Teddy and wouldn't part with it for the world! That feels good. Some of the other boys took to it like a duck to water, including my son. And every time I take out knitting needles you can be guaranteed within an hour he is asking me can he do some too. Maybe the roles are slowly shifting in a different direction.

Yes it would be great to hear from more male quilters here on the forum and in the blogs. Or is it impossible to get a word in edgeways with all us gabbing old grannies

Frank, I really liked reading what you had to say. It takes us all a long, long time to deal with the "shoulds" & "oughts" that got programed into our brains by our parents and peers. We all so much want to belong that it takes courage to try the unexpected. But on the whole as a society we are getting better. The internet will continue to play an amazing role in helping all of us try - in the privacy of our own homes, our own computers - to learn about things no one ever expected us to be interested. One thing is for sure in my mind. Every year there are more male quilters than there were the year before. I believe more and more of us granny TQSers are incline to teach our grandsons even as we are inclined to teach our granddaughters to quilt. There will be more men quilting and that will be a good thing.

There's been quite a few male quilters on here since I've been looking - Ricky, Rob Appell, Tom Russell, Frank. Not so many forum members but perhaps that's just a mars and venus thing and more women like to gossip.

My son has made a small quilt and both boys appreciate my quilts, wish I could say the same for the old man

Frank, Thanks for your quilting story. Quilting can be a wonderful expressive activity for both men and women (and even kids). I hear that even some cats find it interesting.

As a fairly new male quilter (less than 10 years) I have theories about why there might not be more male quilters.

Let's face it: Our society seems to like to compartmentalize people. Men are supposed to like "manly" things like fishing, hunting and having heat strokes while working outdoors. Women are supposed to like "girlie" things like sewing, quilting, cooking and exhausting themselves by balancing rearing children, housecleaning, washing (and don't forget ironing), shopping for the entire household. (etc. etc, etc.) No wonder women finally sang "I am WOMAN, hear me roar!"

In short, it is called "stereotypes" and society always finds it hard to deal with individuals who do not wish to play that game. It takes time, people who are willing to take the plunge into a different "pond", and educating the public that there is no cause for alarm and that the world will not end!

For example, take me (Please!)
I grew up fishing and still love it. I do not like playing sports simply because by body overheats quickly. I happen to think that watching sports on TV is boring. I like watching sports when I'm sitting in the stands.

I like gardening, cooking, and being a "do-it-yourself"-er. There are plenty of things I can fix around the house, and my ego does not mind admitting that plumbing and a/c work is best left for the pros. I mowed the lawn until I got a heat stroke, then admitted it was smarter to let a lawn crew take care of it.

In the artistic front, I am fair at sketching, and also throw clay on a wheel. Making the thinnest bowls possible, and experimenting with my own glazing formulas were a passion!

I used the past tense because after been diagnosed with bladder cancer, I was scared and decided to find a hobby that could be done comfortably at home, in case things got bad. I happened to like quilts but thought they were all made by hand, which seemed a very slow and painful process.

One day built up my courage and went to the Houston International Quilt Festival. My mind was absolutely blown away. A world of beauty indeed! The amazing artistry, the beautiful fabrics, the psychological "hugginess" that are inherent with quilts. Awesome!

When I found out that not only could I make quilts with sewing machines, but also that sewing machines had undergone an unprecedented transformation into very smart computers that sew! I was in love! Tried it, liked it, and my new adventure began.

So now I am a happy quilter even though my male friends think I'm weird. I am still usually the only male in quilting classes. Last year, I was both pleased and mortified when I got on a Quilt Festival escalator and the young lady behind me realized that I was that rare species: A male quilter! She sang my praises to the entire world during what seemed a never-ending escalator ride. I loved that silly young woman, even though she embarrassed the hell out of me!

Today is July 9, 2012. I received the IQF Houston class catalog in the mail this weekend. I felt just like I did when I was five years old and my Mom would give me a whole dollar to buy new comic books! I have read the entire catalog twice. I made an intricate budget delegating money for classes and delegating a big chunk of money for splurging in a buying frenzy from vendor's booths. Whooo-Hooo!

Most of all, I love the process of creating beauty, the inner peace that comes when you are sewing or quilting, and your mind relaxes with the process, and seems to float in a meditative state. Also, I actually like petting some of the fabrics in my stash!

Sorry, that was a very long answer. The short answer to your question is that more men need to be open minded and stop being scared they will be emasculated when they take up quilting. It is not a big deal. Quilting is just another beautiful art form. Women can help by gently leading them by the hand and reassuring them that it is OK if a man wants to quilt!

Amen!

Now wasn't that an appropriate comment!

So much for stereotypes !

loise98 wrote: And some of us are 'sub-versive'

I have a male friend, who weaves, spins, dressmakes, tailors, embroiders, bobbin lace makes - the whole nine yards. He used to regularly go over to the states for lace-making conventions and nobody raised an eyebrow at him, until the year he turned up with a 'wife!' Apparently they had trouble getting their heads around the fact that a straight man would or could make lace

PS he is a great tall fellow, with a long red beard (imagine viking) who is also a C of E (Wales) priest.

My husband has been an enthusiastic supporter of my quilting since I began almost 5 years ago. As an artist himself, he appreciates quilt shows and comes in handy when I need a drawing done! He's always stayed away from my machines, just as I've stayed away from his woodwork equipment (mostly!) but last weekend he insisted on buying an old hand-cranked machine for me...I've promised to show him how to work it and we'll see what he comes up with!
BTW, my 8 yr old son won a prize in a national embroidery competition here years ago. He's done very little sewing since then but as he has had the basics drilled into him, along with his sisters, I figure that knowledge is there for him to fall back on later in life. I'm also planning a sewing kit as a present for my 6 yr old nephew, which may also kickstart his mum into sewing again...devious aren't I????