with Rob Appell
I’m always on the lookout for gifts that are cool, useful, and easy to make. This Extra Long Cuddle Scarf fits the bill. It’s super soft and long enough to really keep the cold out. Best of all, it’s a cinch to put together. Click HERE to learn how!
(FYI: Cuddle fleece comes in tons of different colors and prints. Click HERE to find the perfect choice for everyone on your Christmas list!)
An art quilt is created out of pure imagination – no pattern required. This week I’m inspired by the image of a lone winter-chilled tree set against a pastel sky. Magical colors, fantastic contrast, and tons of room for improvisation.
Join me for a dose freestyle applique that’ll rock your socks off! Click HERE for a free downloadable PDF of this quilt!
Even simple traditions create lasting memories. Every December we pull out our “Skinny Santa” to deck him out with Christmas cards from family and friends. After so many years, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without him. Learn how to make your own Felt Santa Christmas Card Holder HERE! And download the free PDF pattern HERE!
Click on the image to find all the supplies needed to create your very own Santa card holder!
Rob’s kiddos, Brayden and Ruby, joined him for his most recent trip to Hamilton, MO to film a new set of tutorials and fun was a blast! Check out the Facebook Live Video they did on set HERE.
Ruby worked hard for weeks leading up to the trip getting a couple of projects ready to film tutorials with her dad. She’s a natural on camera! Brayden loves making videos himself, so he had a blast checking out all of the equipment and helping to run one of the cameras. Keep an eye out for the new tutorials on Man Sewing soon (You can subscribe to the Man Sewing YouTube Channel HERE to make sure you don’t miss them)!
Brayden even made his own video recapping the Appell Family Trip to Hamilton. How cool is that? He’s got some serious video making skills (We just might have ourselves a new tutorial making team)!
We hope to make this trip as a family again sometime, it was so much fun!
Last month we took some much needed family time and traveled to Bass Lake, California. This is a special spot for the Appell Family. My parents started taking me and a few buddies to Bass Lake every summer for a few weeks as teenagers. Most of us have kept the tradition alive by bringing our own families to Bass Lake. My kids started at 6 weeks old. We use it as a time for relaxing, camping, boating, swimming and enjoying the lake.
This year we had some big accomplishments. Here’s my daughter Ruby, who likes to go really fast on the tube, all by herself.
My son Brayden has learned to pop up and ride a wake board.
I can even still get a bit of air!
My wife was on the mend from surgery, so luckily I don’t have to post the usual photos of her showing us up… just her being cute and eating watermelon this time.
It was such a fun family trip and it brought back so many memories of my younger days. I’m glad I’m able to give my kids memories at Bass Lake as well! What vacation spots are nostalgic for you? Let me know what they are in the comments!
P.S. – So I made it all the way to the lake for the family camp without my propane line for my stove. I am in charge of all the meals, so I quickly converted my BBQ into a range. I can now say I’ve BBQ’d eggs, pancakes, and refried beans (and they weren’t too bad)!
There are no words to describe the Outdoor Quilt Show in Sisters, Oregon each year. There are so many amazing artists and one of a kind quilts wherever you look and it’s just a great all around experience. If you haven’t been before, I’d highly recommend adding it to your bucket list!
Check out these photos from the 2016 Sisters, Oregon Outdoor Quilt Show back in July. I bet they’ll make you want to make the trip next year!
I’m always so thrilled to be able to hang my quilts up in this show among so many other amazing quilts and artists. Pictured with me here is my “And the Flag Was Still There” Quilt and my “Coming Home” Quilt. You can watch my tutorial for the Coming Home Quilt HERE.
Have you ever been to the Sisters, Oregon Outdoor Quilt Show? Are you adding it to your bucket list now? Leave a comment and let me know!
It doesn’t get much better than the views in Alaska, quilting, and a cruise! My recent Guys and Glaciers Quilting Cruise was a BLAST and I’m excited to share a bit of it with you (although this short recap won’t even begin to give it the justice it deserves).
I packed up all my supplies for teaching and my wife and I began our drive early in the morning. You just can’t beat more sight seeing along the way, can you?
We got to stop by the tap room that my friend Violet Craft and her husband own. She even let me tag the fridge with a Man Sewing Sticker! How cool is that?? You can check out the Christmas Tree Skirt Tutorial that Violet and I did together HERE.
It was such a good time cruising, quilting and teaching with some other awesome man sewers including Joe Cunningham, John Flynn and Luke Haynes. Best of all, the cruise helped raise money for the International Quilt Study Center & Museum (IQSCM) in Lincoln, Nebraska.
And I tell ya, there’s just nothing like having the entire Alaskan landscape as your sewing studio and your beautiful wife by your side for the week!
Check out a list of upcoming Man Sewing Events HERE. I hope to see you at one of them!
Back in the day, we wrapped our textbooks in covers made from brown paper bags. Those paper covers were great for doodling, but they just weren’t strong enough to withstand the wear and tear of daily use. It was a small miracle if they made it through the school year!
The Kraft-Tex Journal Cover starts with the same basic idea of those old paper bag covers, but when you’re working with Kraft-Tex, you know it’s gonna last. Kraft-tex is an amazing product that looks like leather, feels like paper, sews like butter, and can even be tossed in the washer. This stuff is so indestructible, it only makes sense to turn it into something as well-used as a journal.
Get the supplies needed to make your very own Kraft-Tex Journal Cover and download the Free Printable here: https://www.missouriquiltco.com/land/mansewing/kraft-tex-journal
Picture this: You’re lounging on the couch. Feet up on the ottoman. Delicious coffee in one hand. Killer pastry in the other. It’s a perfect setup unless you want to check out some YouTube vids on the tablet, and that sucker starts sliding all over your lap. You really need a Tablet Prop Up Pillow.
Constructed with super-soft Shannon Cuddle and a boning-reinforced strip shelf, this handy little pillow will prop your tablet in place with comfort and ease. Watch the tutorial below and click HERE to to get supplies!
