JESUP -- It's a hobby that doesn't necessarily pay for itself -- but it provides hours of entertainment and relaxation.

For Mathew Hilliard, Keith Neuhring and Merle Shea of MaKe Me Quilts in Jesup, quilting has become a serious pursuit.

"Quilting, to me, is just like running a jigsaw," said Hilliard, who has been quilting since July 2005. "A lot of people say 'that's kind of a sissy job' -- but not really. If people are running jigsaws they can run quilting machines. He'll (Neuhring) sit in the tree when he's bow hunting and take a quilt and he'll quilt as he's bow hunting. Now how cool is that?"

The men, who live and quilt together, enjoy different aspects of quilting.

Neuhring, who started his quilting career in February 2002, enjoys paper piecing, circles, points and hand work. Hilliard likes discovering new patterns or using old patterns and putting a twist on them. Shea, who also began in 2002, enjoys the entire process from start to finish.

"I find it relaxing," Shea explained. He quilts more in the winter when Iowa temperatures aren't as desirable for riding horses and gives quilts as gifts. "I've only kept two quilts I've made, and I've made maybe a dozen."

The men agreed they enjoy finding different patterns to add to their collection of fabric bolts.

"It's like a little kid going into a candy store," Hilliard said, describing visits to quilting shops. "I say, 'whoa, what flavor should I pick out?' "

Not only are the men inventive in new techniques and patterns, they have also invented new ways to make life easier for other quilters. Neuhring developed Foolproof Circles, a template used to make perfect circles.

"Ours starts with one large circle and everything's cut out of the same one so you have different sizes," Neuhring said. With the help of United Kingdom quilter Barbara Barber and C&T Publishing, he was able to get the product patented.

"Instead of using a dish (or other circular objects) you have consistent sizes throughout," he explained.

MaKe Me Quilts' latest project (dozens are in the works) includes using specially-made hand-dyed fabric and thread for a quilt the team expects to complete before the fall. Their hope is that it will someday hang in the Museum of the American Quilter's Society in Paducah, Ky., as an heirloom-type piece of art.

Working with big names in quilting like Barber, Ricky Tims and Cindy Walker, it's no doubt that MaKe Me Quilts has support from different parts of the world -- and the support of locals who are happy to see men who quilt.

"We've seen precise quilting come from men," said Robin Venter, curator at Waterloo's Grout Museum. "I think women are no longer looking at it as just for women."

Venter said her father, Robert Mundt, was a quilter.

"My father was a tool and dye maker at John Deere. His quilting and piecing techniques were more accurate than mine … . He was a perfectionist."

The portability and cleanliness of the craft are two aspects that make quilting more appealing to men, she explained. "It's a good way to express yourself and I think men are really just getting into it."

Neuhring, who said they have made quilts that have traveled the world, said he encourages men to take a few classes and invest in some material and machinery -- even if it's not the best quality.

"Never downgrade your work. Quilting's a beautiful thing - Take pride in what you do," he said.

All of the men of MaKe Me Quilts have their own jobs and other hobbies, but quilting is something they could do together.

"Keith does the hunting, Merle works with horses, and I do (raise and show) the dogs and we meet in the middle and quilt," Hilliard added.

MaKe Me Quilts can be reached at 319-827-6053.

Contact Bethany Pint at (319) 291-1587 or bethany.pint@wcfcourier.