PASSIONS Don’t Needle These Guys

Real men do make quilts. Just ask the father-son team of Joe and Duncan Grigsby. In a state where pick-up trucks and guns define manhood, these burly men spend their free time creating works of fabric art with a male perspective. “I taught elementary school for 34 years, so I was used to being around women,” says Joe (above, right). “Quilters are the nicest people.” The former football player, coach, and hunter makes baby quilts, donating many to the Vogel Alcove’s homeless children.

Duncan Grigsby, who also played football, has been making clothing since he was 9 years old. “When I came back from the Marines, my mom was quilting. I found I enjoyed it as an art form.” He enjoys making contemporary quilts and shares a sewing room with his wife, Kristi, whom he met at the Quilter’s Guild of Dallas.

Susan Grigsby, Joe’s wife and Duncan’s mother, says of her men, “There’s nothing sissy about them. They’re so secure in their masculinity, they’ll try anything.”