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Wow, how quickly this past year has gone by. As I hit this next mile stone, five years without a drink, I look back and really need both hands to count all of the blessings. In the past few months I have been reunited with my quilt “and the Flag was still there” – a quilt that I have donated to Operation Home Front and now am on the final fund raising drive to finish the Mission. You can read more about that HERE. Then my dream of inventing the coolest, smallest rotary cutter for appliqué finally came true. I have worked for the past four years to develop The Shark ApplicutterRead More →

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In Bonus Video, Family, Rob's Travels
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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 toRead More →

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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 sonRead More →

Free YouTube Tutorial to Make Rob Appell's Sherwood Quilt Pattern!

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In Quilting Tutorial, Tutorial
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Stretching from the bottom of Oregon all the way past San Francisco, a 500 mile long forest of ancient redwoods towers above the Big Sur Coast. These ancient giants can grow to be 350 feet tall with a diameter of over 20 feet! Recently, Rob and his 12-year-old son spent some time backpacking through this remarkable forest, and they came back with some serious quilting inspiration! (What a awesome way to hold on to the memory of a trip like that!) And so the Sherwood Quilt was born! This is a new pattern for Rob and he is walking you through the entire process! So,Read More →

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In About Man Sewing, Family, Rob's Travels
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February 20th is my 4 year anniversary. For the past few years I have been celebrating my recovery from alcohol addiction by hiking deep into the wilderness and enjoying nature with my newest coin. This year was the 4 year marker without a drink, so my 12 year old son and I did a three day backpack trip in Bug Sur, CA. The destination was Sykes Hot Springs and it was an enjoyable 21 mile hike! My son was a fantastic hiking partner and one of the major reasons I quit drinking. What a blessing to have this time together, a time both of usRead More →

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In Family, Misc
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I can’t believe that it’s almost Independence Day!! I love this time of year! Red, white and blue paving the streets, BBQs, fireworks,  picnics, carnivals, family time, the list goes on forever! In my family,  we have two Independence Day traditions. The first is to participate in the Morro Bay Family Fun Day.  We love to kick it off with the bicycle parade. We all decorate our bikes and  helmets and then cruise along the waterfront in a pack of several hundred people of all ages. The kids have always loved it and I love every chance they get to be creative! We then spendRead More →

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We love to get crafty with the kids, it keeps their imaginations going and allows them to express themselves! (We also want them to love art as much as we do!) Well a few days ago it was International Fairy Day. My daughter loved it!!! My family has been working on Fairy Gardens as a summer project and having an International holiday to celebrate fairies was the cherry on top! I just got around to taking pictures, but aren’t they turning out pretty sweet? We can’t wait to get them finished and painted! We hear that if we build them, the fairies will swarm in!Read More →

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In About Man Sewing
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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! 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 forRead More →