Tomorrow my little brother turns the big 37. (You are getting ever so closer to the Fab 40’s, Lil Bro’!)

The Chatham cousins (This is probably the last time I will ever see my brother in a suit.)

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For years, he’s been asking me for a quilt, and it’s my bad that I haven’t made one for him yet, so I’m sending him a promissory note tomorrow letting him know I’m on it. We both have fond memories as kids watching TV, huddled under one of the numerous quilts my great grandmother lovingly hand stitched.

Challenge is, he’s of the rugged, hunt/fish, Bass Pro Shop variety. Owning and running a farm and cattle ranch in Washington state, he spends his days wrestling rattlesnakes and irrigation woes, harvesting fruit, and herding cattle. (One time while talking with him over the phone, he put his cell down to tell some guy, “Dude! Watch out! That bull isn’t castrated!”)

In his free time he fly fishes, camps, sails, hunts, and actually broke a horse in (that he delivered) and now gallops on all over his property. Get the picture?

So it’s time I make him a quilt, but it needs to be something more macho than say, maybe grandmother’s flower garden (although it would be a fun challenge to make that in taupes, greens, grays, and blues). I have been looking at a few patterns, and think something with a more modern quilt aesthetic would most likely work for him.

What do you think of the following?

Bachelor Quilt #1

This Asymmetrical Diamond Quilt inspired by Lisa Roddy’s quilt on her blog, Shiner’s View, came up in my Instagram feed yesterday from Robert Kaufman. The color scheme is perfect for Davy with the sandy beiges and watery blues, a throwback to his professional sailing days.

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Bachelor Quilt #2

I bought this pattern from the Jaybird Quilts booth at Quilt Festival in Long Beach last summer. Looks like I could whip this quilt up pretty quickly, and I like the positive/negative interplay in the pattern.

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Bachelor Quilt #3

Also by Julie Herman of Jaybirdquilts.com, I think Varsity would be fun to make in a variety of beiges and blues.

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I am leaning towards Varsity but would love to hear what you think. And have you made quilts for the men in your life? Share in the comments area and if you have pictures on blogs or websites, please link!

Oh. And Happy Birthday, Davy…