with Rob Appell
My quilting laboratory is stocked with all sorts of spooky specimens, thanks to Tula Pink’s De La Luna fabric. Time to make a Halloween jar quilt!
I use my mini rotary cutter, the Shark Applicutter, to fussy cut creepy apothecary jars filled with eyeballs, skeletons, bugs, and bats. This is a super fun project with tons of room for creativity, so let your imagination run wild as you concoct this spine-chilling quilt!
Listen up, quilters: It’s time to pamper yourself. I’ve worked up a simple little spa kit that’ll keep you calm even after a long session with the seam ripper.
The weight of the Eye Pillow releases tension in your facial muscles. It relaxes your eyes and soothes headaches – especially after being cooled in the freezer. Place this puppy on your eyes after a long, busy day, and you’ll be snoozing in no time!
Like the Eye Pillow, the Neckroll Pillow is filled with perfectly weighted poly pellets. It rests on your neck like a koala bear hug – which is exactly what you need after an afternoon of free motion quilting. These projects are a blast to make and so nice to use, you’re going to want to crank out a few extras as gifts. Click HERE to learn how!
It’s the big winter games, and the best athletes in the world are competing for top honors. The best human athletes, that is…
Because if we’re being honest, in a contest of the most extraordinary physical feats, you’d have to include the common house cat.
A domestic cat can run 30 miles per hour. (That’s faster than gold medal runner Usain Bolt, folks.) They can jump seven times their own height, and 90% of cats can survive a five-story fall. But perhaps most impressive, the average cat sleeps 16-18 hours a day. (You may have observed this impressive talent in your own home.)
This week I’ve designed a cool new quilt for all the cat-loving quilters out there. Click HERE to learn how to make the Crazy Cat Star Quilt.
We love following trends. In the 70s it was bell bottoms and disco. The 80s brought perms and acid wash to the masses. Grungy jeans and flannel were all the rage in the 90s. And today? Well, it’s all about pineapples!
Pineapples are everywhere in fashion and decor. I’ve seen lamps, socks, earrings, and even a little pineapple-shaped dog house for your pampered pup. The whole world is in love with these golden fruits, and it’s no wonder; pineapples represent sunshine and warmth and far-off adventures.
This week I’m making a reverse applique pineapple quilt using fantastic batiks and my trusty Shark Applicutter. This project is so cool, it will be rocking that tropical vibe long after the pineapple trend has sailed away. Click HERE to watch the tutorial.
I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed with this new FMQ motif, so I’ve prepared a couple of questions to help you gauge whether you are up to the challenge:
1- Can you sew a straight line?
2- How ‘bout kinda-sorta straight?
If you answered yes, you’re ready to tackle Simple Squares! To create this motif, simply follow a chalk grid. No curves. No corners. Just long, straight lines. And when you’re done, you’ve got an awesome “plaid” design that can be further embellished or left alone. Click HERE to watch the tutorial!
Once upon a time, a simple little jelly roll dreamed of becoming a stately hexagon. “You’re dreaming!” chided his fellow precuts. “You’ll never be anything better than a Jelly Roll Race (not that there is anything wrong with that)!”
Little did they know, that jelly roll was about to be stitched into strip sets. And those strips sets were sliced into cool, stripey triangles. And what do you think happened to those triangles? Well, they were carefully arranged into the coolest hexagons you ever did see. And they lived happily ever after as a totally awesome quilt.
Moral of the story? You can create some pretty cool stuff out of 2.5-inch strips of fabric. Click HERE to learn how to make your own Hypnotic Hexagons quilt!
Welcome to 2018! Where will this new year take you? Whether you plan to scale a majestic mountain peak or conquer a new quilt pattern, you’re sure to face an adventure or two worth remembering.
This week I’m stitching up a Cork Adventure Journal using two of my favorite materials: cork fabric and Kraft-tex paper “fabric.” This journal is durable enough to accompany you on any safari, sea voyage, or quilting retreat. And when you fill it up with memories and mementos, you can swap out the pages for fresh sheets. Click HERE to learn how to make your own Adventure Journal!
You may know that Rob is crazy for cork! After he created his first Streamline Cork Wallet this spring, he started dreaming up ways to keep using it! He’s made a Foldover Bag and has a few more projects in the works, but he just couldn’t stop creating cork wallets. The cork fabric is water resistant and wears very similarly to leather, making it a great choice for projects that get a lot of wear and tear.
While back in Hamilton to film a round of Man Sewing tutorials, Rob made a guest appearance on Missouri Star Quilt Co.’s Facebook Live, and shared a quick tutorial for a wallet made completely out of cork! This project is a quick and easy present for that special guy in your life just in time for the holidays!
Watch the Facebook Live tutorial below!
Have you ever tried to make a grilled cheese sandwich with an iron? Used a butter knife as a screwdriver? Hammered a nail in the wall with the heel of one of your wife’s good pumps? Sure, you can “make do,” but life is so much easier when you’ve got the right tools for the job.
This week I’m working on appliqued stained glass. This is a super fun project, and with the right tools, it really is simple! To create black “lead” lines, I’m using heat activated Quick Bias Tape. It follows the curves of the design with ease, and my Clover Mini Iron allows me to tack it down exactly where I want it. (Of course, I’ve got my favorite stiletto tool to help with precise positioning.) Finally, I use a twin needle to stitch both edges of the “leading” in one fell swoop. Easy peasy.
Click HERE to learn how to do Stained Glass Applique the easy way!
When you tune in to Man Sewing, you see only me and my sewing machine. But if I were to flip the camera around, you would discover an entire team of creative geniuses working together to make Man Sewing a success.
Today I’m working on a quilt that was designed by my good friend Heidi. As a talented member of the Man Sewing family, she is always coming up with cool project ideas. Click HERE to learn how to make Heidi’s Hexis Quilt!