Q&A: Meet Rob Appell!

Now that you’ve made it to mansewing.com, you’re probably wondering, who is this Rob guy and what on earth does ‘man sewing’ mean?  Well, we thought it would be best for you to hear from the man himself, so we want to share this little Q&A with you.  Meet Mr. Man Sewing, Rob Appell!

Rob-Skateboard

Who is Rob Appell?   I’m a guy with boundless energy and enthusiasm for life and creativity. I love God, my wife, son and daughter. I enjoy waking up excited each day to see what lies ahead. I’m happiest when I’m outside or in my studio. I have been told that I inspire others and for that I feel very blessed.

When you’re not sewing, what are you doing?  My wife, kids, pets and I all love to be active and outdoors. My favorites are surfing and skateboarding, playing guitar, hiking and cooking.

Does your family sew?  Yes, my family all likes to sew. My kids spend a good deal of time with me in my studio and they work folding brochures and rolling fabrics for their weekly commissions.

Rob Family

What is your favorite place in the world to visit?  I can’t say I have been there yet. I love the tropics; the laid back feel and lack of clothes suits me well. I love to travel, so I can chase surf and go on killer hikes. My best trip so far, other than my honeymoon of course, was a hike with Michael Steiner of Michael Miller Fabrics. We met in Kauai and hiked the Napali Coast over four days. It had been on my bucket list for years and the day we hiked was my one year anniversary of no more alcohol in my life.

What kind (model) of machine do you use?  Pfaff – When we owned a quilt shop, we were also Pfaff dealers. I was the technician that became an avid quilter.

Where do you get your inspiration for new projects?  Ever stick your finger in a light socket?  It’s kind of like that. I see or hear something that excites my creative soul and off I go.  A lot of my hobbies are big influences as you will see in the first several tutorials.

What is your favorite project you’ve ever created?  The quilt entitled, “And the Flag was Still There,” depicting the big waving flag with the Marine memorial of Iwo Jima. It was created to raise money for Operation Homefront, but I met a much deeper side of myself during the process. It was a struggle through which my faith and talents as a designer grew. It’s the only project I have ever given away and it’s a great opportunity to raise a ton of money for our Veterans. This quilt will be up for auction soon.

And The Flag Was Still There

What have you learned along the way?  To be a gentleman, to speak honestly when offering advice in a workshop, to be the butt of my own jokes and try to uplift everyone I meet with silly stories, high energy and a big heart.

What is Man Sewing?  Well, I am a man who loves to sew and I’m proud of it. I’m passionate about sewing and creativity and have a desire to teach, so I want to share my passion with you. Is Man Sewing just for men? Absolutely not. I’m just a man who sews. It’s going to be high voltage edu-tainment at its finest. Where creativity meets caffeine. Welcome to Man Sewing!

12 Replies to “Q&A: Meet Rob Appell!”

  1. Aloha Rob,
    You and my son Mikhail are about the same age. I know you from the Nazarene Church in Los Osos. I was a frequent visitor to the Cotton Ball and took many classes from Becky Rodgers. We now live in Kauai. I meet with a master Hawaiian quilter on mondays and a group of quilter ladies with the Kalaheo Missionary Church we make lots of different service projects to help those less fortunate on the island. Now that I am retired I make jewelry and quilts (I retired from being a dental hygienist for 35yrs.) I am thrilled to see you stepping out on your own. Man Sewing is a great new adventure for you. Will look forward to seeing your posts. I love YouTube and Missouri Star Quilts!!!

  2. Great blog Rob.

    My friend, who is coming with me
    to Quilter’s Affair in Sisters this summer, and I are
    taking your sewing machine class that you and Barbara S. teach. I have vintage Bernina 930. She had an older Pfaff (not sure of model).

    Looking forward to seeing you.

    Best,

    Nancy

  3. Hey Rob,

    Just watched you with Jenny on MSQ. It appears that if we put you two together often enough, we will have plenty of energy to run the whole country! I am truely looking forward to the Man Sewing videos as I know they will be both informative and entertaining …. and produce encouragement for all of us to jump into making a quilt. Cannot wait! Thanks for this!

    1. Thanks for your comment, @disqus_wtF04uNPoF:disqus! Haha I’m definitely not short of energy! I have big plans for education and entertainment (I like to call it edu-tainment) on Man Sewing! Stay tuned! 🙂

  4. OMG you are really a power package! I enjoyed watching your video tutorial. Fianally a website with quiltideas for men and boys. Thank you so much for sharing your ideas.
    Should I ever make it to the States again we should definitelly meet. I will tell hubby to bring the guitar and we can quilt and make music together 🙂
    Weaving Hi from Germany

  5. Just spent 3 1/2 days with Rob as my house guest and our guild’s guest instructor here in Sitka, Alaska. If you get a chance, take a class from him. He’s full of energy and humor and you won’t regret it. Don’t forget to subscribe to his videos on YouTube so you don’t miss any of them.

  6. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6654480f5a656ea9b8cfd408a2d0b5de29ac3cea4052decc0124f037d1e1443c.jpg
    Aloha Rob – I stumble on your web site and really thought I was the only male in the country that enjoyed sewing. I am also married with 2 boys and a lovely wife. I am an avid Hawaiian Quilter that have been quilting for the last 15 years. I am originally from Honolulu, Hawaii and am very proud of the Hawaiian Heritage so I wanted to say grounded to the culture. Since we relocated to Houston, Texas I learned from a video on the art of the Hawaiian Quilting and have designed a few of my own patterns.

    As Hawaiians believe there is a lot of mana {spirit} in the 100% hand made quilts. Before the last stitch is sewn on the quilt it is said to take a lock of your hair and insert into the quilt to pass on your “mana” and there the quilt becomes a heirloom.

    A full king size Hawaiian Quilt that is hand made can fetch as much as $6,000 to 8,000.00. I loved seeing your youtube post! Best of luck! maybe we’ll meet in Houston at the Quilt festival.

    Warmest Aloha
    Rick Man – Houston https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1be531583a67503b2b97f54749a521012c093496e88656e2618bd3db798c5265.jpg

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