Benartex Manly quilt tutorial

 

 

I am most definitely a child of the 70's. I love the clothing styles from then, and the quilts from that time frame were so charming! Thick, lofty(polyester) batting and acrylic ties were the thing. Or if the quilt wasn't tied, it was loosely quilted so the quilt was still mega puffy. And heck, even the quilt top might have been polyester or a poly blend. Do you remember those double knit polys?! I have a pillow made from some squares of it my dad sent me several years ago!

 

 

For the Manly quilt, I am paying tribute to the 70's, giving it a modern day twist, using natural fibre. The batting is a lofty wool, and the ties are spun wool.  The quilt is approximately 63"X71". 

 

 

I used fabric from three different Benartex lines:

 

                           

The sashiko prints from Bellissimo in the lower right corner (for the center of the patchwork and the binding), plaid taupe from Paintbox/Shadows (for the backing) and all 24 colors available of Burlap (for the outside edges of the patchwork).

 

 

You will also need wool batting, wool yarn, and a tapestry needle.

For the main patchwork, I used my Go! cutter and 5" die to cut 224 5" squares. The Go! cutter made light work of this step which I was pleased with since cutting is my least favorite part.

 

Here is a diagram of my layout:

 

Blues on the left, tans on the bottom, purples/reds on the right, greens on the top, and blacks/dark grays in the center.

Once the you have the top assembled to your liking, make a quilt sandwich with your top, batting and backing and baste it with pins in every other center of each square to prep it for tying.

 

To tie your quilt, use your tapestry needle and wool yarn to stitch a running stitch through all layers of your sandwich, diagonally through the center of each unpinned square.

 

 

 

Once all the unpinned squares are stitched, cut the yarn where the four squares come to a point (half way between each stitch)

 

 

and then use a sewer's knot to tie each piece of yarn. Trim the knotted yarn to the length of your liking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now remove the pins and stitch and tie the remaining squares.

 

 

Tying your quilt in this manner will give a clean finish to the backing. All the stitches will be straight and the stitch pattern on the back will have an orderly appearance.

 

 

 

Once you have tied your quilt, bind it and you are finished.

I want to thank Benartex for sending the lovely fabric, this project was a joy to work on. And what has made it even more fun is L-man has said several times this is his favorite quilt! I am pleased I hit the mark with the Manly quilt!

 

 

I am also excited that because of Benartex's generosity, I have enough remaining fabric for a second quilt top and part of a backing. If you would like to make a manly quilt of your own, leave a comment on this post telling me who you would make a Manly quilt for if you win, and I will chose a winner on this Friday. (US entries only please due to shipping costs)

 

 

Good luck to you and Happy New Year!!!

xo,

Penny

 

Comments

[Patricia C]

Beautiful quilt, thank you. I am allergic to wool and will use cotton flannel.

[Janel]

I have three boys, so I'm sure there would be a fight as to who got the manly quilt. Maybe it will have to be a family quilt. Loved the tutorial for how to tie the quilt.

[lisa]

My son has been patiently waiting for his own quilt...this would be perfect! Thanks for the chance!

[Brenda]

My husband! it's time he had a quilt of his own. thanks for the chance.

[Janet S.]

This is awesome! I too am a child of the 60's/70's and feel I have a hippie soul and love things from that time period! I would probably make this for my husband. I haven't made him a quilt yet. I made him a memory pillow out of his mother's dusters this year. She passed in August so I wanted to do something for him. This looks like a fun project to work on! Thanks for the chance to win ;c) shopgirl7232@yahoo.com

[Jenny]

wow, Penny! I love your tying technique...Ive never seen the running stitched used before!! I do love the uniformity of the back using this method! My dad needs a manly quilt for sure...he keeps his house SO cold.

[elsa]

This quilt is so fab! And how you tied it is clever
indeed!
I'd definitely make this quilt for my son ~ he's a
graphic designer and would love the layout
and design.
Thanks for the giveaway Penny and the chance
to win it!!!

[amy]

I'd make this quilt for my son in law. He has great respect for all the work that goes into making quilts and the one he has now came from his grandmother and has pretty much been used to pieces and is falling apart!

[Penny G]

I would make a manly quilt for my son-in-law.

[Christy]

Oh my, this quilt is so gorgeous. My husband came to the marriage with a similar quilt made by an ex girlfriend. My kids adopted it as the play quilt. This is the perfect replacement!

[Linda]

My 48 year old son found out he had a daughter when she was 12, and he was 28. Her mother moved away with her and they lost touch for many years until she was able to find him through My Space. They visited back and forth a few times, she living in WI, and him in FL., and he cried every time they had to part because now he has grandchildren, too. Last year, he (finally!) moved from Naples Florida to Wisconsin, close to Minneapolis, MN. He is a terrific, very patriotic guy, and now, on top of working, he volunteers A LOT at the American Legion post, helping not only veterans, but the shut-ins in his area, also. I would love to make him a warm, snuggly quilt to keep himself, and his kitty, Blondie, warm in those cold Northern winters.

Thanks for the chance to win.

[Barbara]

Ok...another great project! I think I could find a fella who would love this!

[Whiskers]

I'm out of "manly's", but I love the simplicity of this design. I wondered if you used wool batting.

[Ruth Lil]

My dear husband, we celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary in 2015, I think he'd appreciate the work to make him a manly quilt as very symbolic of the work to maintain our happy marriage.
Love your manly quilt.

[Barb in MI]

Awesome quilt! Thanks for explaining the tying part - I would make a quilt for my dad. Thank you!

[Terry]

Love this quilt!! My husband has been 'hinting' for a special quilt of his own so that's who I'd make it for. Thanks for the sweet giveaway :)

[Anita]

My husband loves warm quilts!

[Barbara Dougherty]

I would make a manly quilt for my brother. He needs a quilt. :) thanks for the giveaway.

[Karen]

Love the idea of laying out the patches according to a pre-made grid worksheet! NEVER thought of doing that!
LOVE how these fabrics seemed to flow together in their "groups".
Heck! I'd love the quilt for myself and not just "for guys"!
I want!

[Julie]

I think I would make a quilt just like yours:) Thanks

[Lizzie]

Deligtful! I'm a child of '69 and I love this! Super plaid backing and great cal on the woolen ties....

[Maryellen]

My son needs a new lap quilt. His, from when he was about 9, is falling apart. Thanks for the easy design.

[Lan]

Oh I am IN LOVE!!!!! I have a son in Iowa that is FREEZING!!! This looks Gorgeous!!! PICK US!!!!
Seriously, your work here is always fun, amazing and inspiring...I am looking forward to the new year!!! Thank you for all the hard work!

[Carolyn Clift]

I would love to make this quilt for my husband of 59years. He is often cold and this quilt would be the perfect size and weight for him to cuddle up with. Would be easy to make and fast. Thanks for the opportunity to win!

[Dawn Hollingsworth]

What a terrific quilt! I have 1 son and 5 sons-in-law. Guess I'll need to make more than one :)

[Susan]

Great quilt tutorial! If I were to win, I would make a quilt for my husband. He's cold all the time!

[Cynthia Knapp]

That's a very nice quilt! If I won, I'd make one for my dear hubby. Thanks for sharing with us!

[Marsha Numerich]

What a pretty quilt. I have never tied a quilt, so appreciate the thorough instruction on doing it, and the great way it looks on the back. I think I would make a manly quilt for one of my son-in-laws.

[Karen Seitz]

What a great quilt, and I love the instruction for tying the quilt -- I wouldn't have thought of that and it's so perfect! I would make the manly quilt for my brother. He would really appreciate a quilt like that and is a child/teen of the seventies like I am.

[Alli]

I'd make one for my father-in-law! I love all quilts, but I do think tied ones are the coziest. :)

[VickiT]

What a great looking quilt. I'd love to make a quilt like this. I have no end to men I could make it for. AT first I'd say my husband, but I think one of our four boys would use it more as my husband is always too warm. OR maybe for my FIL because, for some reason, I think it looks like a great quilt for someone who loves to go deer hunting. My FIL really would love this quilt. Yea, I think I'd make it for him.

[Jennifer Willard]

My husband just informed me that he has been waiting for his quilt for years. Didn't know he even wanted one. He has always been giving me such a bad time about making them. Guess that was his way of telling me it was his turn. Men!

[JoyceLM]

I'd make a quilt for my husband. He goes to all the college baseball games & they start in February! Even here in North Carolina, it will be cold. Thanks.

[goonybird]

I'd make one for my husband, or my son, or my other son.... LOL!

[Patti McGarry]

At first my thought was I'd make it for my husband or my son or even my grandson but then I thought of a coworker of mine. He had a house fire last Christmas eve and lost all of his belongings and memories. He's a single man that likes to hunt and fish. He's been in an apartment this past year, waiting for his house to be rebuilt and I'd like to make him a quilt for when he moves back in. Thanks for your generosity!

[Sandy K]

I would like to make my husband a quilt of his own.

[Vicki H]

I have 2 son in laws and six grandsons that would all be happy to get a manly quilt from me.

[Jessica]

What a genius way to tie a quilt. Now I want to make one! I have a FIL that would appreciate a good manly quilt. :)

[Kathlene Prescott]

Oh, I have a few great grandsons who would get excited about this one! We don't have many girls in this family! Absolutely love this one. Thank you for this.

Kathlene

[Lin]

Love this quilt..I would make it for my husband!

[Amy Verne]

I would make this quilt for my daughter long-time boyfriend who just bought his first house. It would be a housewarming gift.

[Chris matsche]

I would make a quilt for my husband. The fabric is just right for him. Matsche.christine@yahoo.com

[Linda S]

Nice quilt. My very first quilt was tied. My boyfriend has been complaining that he has yet to receive one of my quilts, so I guess it is time to add him to the list. lol
dragonfly9716 at yahoo dot com

[jodie]

I'd make a quilt for my brother. Thank you for the chance.

[Terry J.]

Great quilt! Reminds me of some of the older quilts in a bunkhouse at the ranch I grew up on. Very nice and warm. Love your design. I would keep it for my self. Crossing my fingers and toes😊
Happy new from SW Mont. -5 below.

[Sandy A in St. Louis]

I have three nephews that I owe quilts. This would be perfect for two of them so I would have to flip a coin to decide who would get it.

[apple blossom]

I'd make the quilt for my hubby

[achieving simpleness]

Your manly quilt is simply gorgeous. Thank you for sharing with us.

More importantly . . . THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for reminding us of the basics in quilting. In addition to my real jobs as a wife, mom, and school teacher, I am also an overachiever quilter and quilt maker. The longest amount of free motion quilting I have in a project is 44 hours, and the longest amount of piecing I have in a project is 60 hours. I have involuntarily strayed/grown away from the simple and delightful feelings of making those utilitarian quilts of 40 yrs ago, and to becoming an "obsessing and stressed-out maniac fretting over the absolute rules of making a perfect pieced quilt" quilt-maker. Sounds horrible, I know. Your blog entry stunningly made me realize that my sewing new year needs to bring back some of that joy and happiness of yesteryear and leave behind some of the modern day obsessiveness. Just saying . . . ;-) thanks for the therapy session

[Jill]

I would make this for my husband, but I'm pretty sure our two little boys would find a way to use it as well :). Thanks for the chance to win!

[Paula K.]

I have a cousin that goes well with this quilt! It would be a great gift. Sincerely, Paula K.