Finding fabrics to use for older boys is hard. They’ve outgrown cowboys, trains and robots but aren’t old enough to appreciate anything to swirly or flourishy despite the colours. Because GIRLY, mum! This means having to play mix and match, sorting through different fabric collections to find the right prints in colours that will grow up with your boy.
Classic colour combinations for boys are classic for a reason. They work. They’re masculine and timeless. They usually start with navy and grey and add pops of colour. These pops can be any colour really, except pink of course! Red, orange, yellow, green, light blues… they all work.
My friend Lisa is planning on making a quilt for the first time for her son who is fast approaching teenager-dom. Having just turned 10, she is struggling to find suitable fabrics for her young man and asked if I could help. I had already spied this picture on her boys’ bedrooms Pinterest board when she mentioned that she was thinking navy, not-tomato red, dusty blue and a beigey/grey (aka greige). A quick play on the Play Crafts Palette Builder picked out the colours and then it was time to hunt. I used Hawthorne Threads because of their ability to search fabrics by colours.
Lifesaver in Navy | Chicken Wire in Navy | … and Old Lace in Indigo
Chains in Red | Kelp in Red | Painters Canvas in Red
Optical Origami in Shine | Banner in Blue | Oval Elements in Powder Blue |
Drake in Grey | Marmo in Ivory | Square Tile in Sand |
Nothing flowery, nothing girly swirly yet still some fun prints to use as a focus. They would make a most handsome quilt that will grow with Lisa’s son as he does.
LisaW says
NAILED IT! Thanks Alyce!! Now I know where to start. Thank you so so much.
LisaW says
btw – greige is my new favourite word!
Actually Amy says
Great choices, Alyce!
Flying Blind... says
Nice work xxx
Patchwork and Play says
Great colours! Have you seen Adriane’s (On the Windy Side) latest quilt? It is the perfect match for these colours (maybe without the powder blue?)!!
Roslyn@Sew Delicious says
Great choices! It is really hard choosing fabric for older boys.
Molli Sparkles says
I must object! It takes a special boy to love pink, but they do exist!
Julie says
wonderful collection you have selected!
Needled Mom says
Oh yes!!! That will look awesome.
Janice @ Better off Thread says
Love your choices!
Gina says
Awesome!! I have teen boys and know how hard it is to find good fabric picks for them:)
Gina says
p.s. since you are so good with the colors how about a round up of patterns that would work for a teem boy besides my go to stars.:)
Amy says
I do love those colors! I have 5 and 3 year old boys, and have been thinking about this. I don’t want to have to redo their room again in a few years. I’m leaning towards green, brown, and navy. Rusty orange, perhaps. More of a fall pallet. It works for now when they like Frogs and Alligators, and should grow with them later.
Jenelle says
Adrianne just posted pics of her finished sailboat quilt top, and it struck me as perfectly in-line with this more masculine color sceme: http://thewindyside.blogspot.com/2013/06/wip-wednesday_19.html
Great ideas!
quiltswithpersonality says
Fabulous post always a dilemma looking for colours for older boys. Thanks for the tips. Just about to do a quilt for a my nephew – perfect timing. Thank you!
MsMidge says
Great post! I chose the “quilt blocks” fabric range for my son and mixed in some grey chevrons – and he absolutely loves it! And the two boys quilts i’m just finishing are great prints and colours for growing up boys too 🙂
Sarah says
Great colour palette Alyce! I thought greige was green beige. So many boys clothes seem to be that colour! Love the photo your friend pinned too. I would like that for my boys bedrooms.
SIMPLESEW says
Love it.. so nautical and me….. I am going to try and order it after I pay you for July’s Bundle.. I am so excited.. I am trying to make a sm quilt with seek and find items for the grandkids..
Lisa says
Loving the colour scheme! I myself am getting ready for my first self designed quilt in these colours :). Can’t wait to have everything I need and actually get started… Might actually use some of the prints you’ve suggested…
bj brindza says
What color did you use for the walls?