Man Quilt inspiration

It's man quilt time in the Shush household. No pretty EPP or candy pink Princess quilts. Nope, it's all grey and charcoal and sand and colours that hubby likes. His incessant nagging about his quilt finally wore me out and I started.*

So before I launch into the boring monochromatic photos, here's some pretty fabric to cheer you up.  That's it though folks, so enjoy it. 

Too cute, right?

Those of you who have been around the Shush traps for a while may remember talk of hubby designing a zombie quilt. And hubby ain't no talented man sewer who knows his way around fabric either (although he certainly knows where the quilt fabrics are at Spotlight - he spends quality time there with me). His sewing experience consists of asking me to make muslin bags for his home beer brewing (which I have down pat now if anyone wants to know the details). 

So we were all very proud of his efforts, in much the same way as you are proud of your kids learning to draw - cute and well loved, but no masterpiece. I won't bore you with the details, but it was a Midwestern style half square triangle extravaganza. And not in a good way. For a while I thought about making the quilt he designed to validate his efforts and blah de blah.  Then I decided there was no way on this earth I was making something that ugly, and announced if I was making it, I would decide what it looked like.  Poor hubby. But he's happy now, so don't feel bad for him.

So my vision (which is naturally brilliant and awesome and so on) was to make a concrete block wall onto which zombie wanted posters will be appliquéd. Über-cool, right?!

I chopped me 72 concrete blocks in two shades of grey (think post apocalyptic urban jungle) and sashed them up with a sand coloured 'mortar'. 

Possibly the most boring quilt photo.  Ever.

The blocks are 10.5" x 6.5", so the background has ended up just over 65" x 80" once the 1.5" mortar sashing was added.  A good man sized throw and quick to put together. 

Now I've finished the block wall, I'm liking it. I reckon it could be a background for all sorts of things:

Some Banksy style graffiti 

A climbing rose

Rapunzel leaning over the top of her tower wall

Some knights jousting in front of the castle

Wanted posters for superheroes or cowboys or favourite pop stars or anything else you can think of. 

No judging the indoor photos - its POURING with rain.  Ugh.

Or maybe it could be quilted up as is, with some orange and grey binding (hubby LOVES orange) and put on your white leather couch in your New York loft apartment. Don't have one of those? Me neither.  

Anyway, what do you think?  A versatile man quilt background?

Make me exciting.

Next up I have to sort out the posters that go on it.  For now, in an effort at post apocalyptic humour, I'm foundation piecing a Stick No Bills sign for the middle of the wall. That is sooooo a story for another day - but Kristy @ Quiet Play has been VERY helpful with her hints and tips. I can pass on the beginners guide to surviving foundation piecing soon. There are some sneaky peeks up on Instagram if you go have a look.

That's it for now. 

Linking up to WIP Wednesday and Needle and Thread Thursday and Show and Tell Thursday (phew) so howdy folks if you're visiting!

PS:  I've got the ABC quilt along page up now, if you're keen. I'm thinking about starting in two weeks. And it has a button - squee - my first ever - so go grab it for your side bar and let me know if you're in. I think we will be a small but sophisticated bunch, embroidering away.

* to be fair, his nagging consisted of him looking plaintively at me when I finished the lattice quilt and saying "perhaps you could do my quilt now, honey?".  Probably not the biggest whinge in the world.