with Rob Appell
You did it! You successfully pieced, sandwiched, and quilted a cool new project. It’s looking great, but before you finish it off with binding, there’s one more step you just can’t skip: squaring the quilt.
This week I’m demonstrating how easy it is to achieve perfect straight sides and 90-degree corners. Click HERE to watch the tutorial and learn how to take your quilts from “good enough” to first-class!
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!
My Simple Fur and Flannel Throw is the ultimate DIY gift. It’s useful, it’s super classy, and it’s as soft and cozy as a pair of polar bears cubs. And here’s the best part: it’s a cinch to make.
Shannon Fabrics has an amazing faux fur called Llama Cuddle. It’s a little finicky, but I’ve got a few tips to whip that silky-soft fur into shape. Click HERE to watch the tutorial!
If you have a collection of cool t-shirts, it’s time to transform those puppies into a quilt! We tend to hang onto t-shirts because they hold great memories: killer concerts, unforgettable vacations, college days. Even if you don’t wear them anymore, they represent happy times.
But if you think you enjoy those old t-shirts while they’re stuffed away in the back of the closet, just imagine how much you’ll love having them on display as a totally unique, totally awesome quilt. Click HERE to check out my best tips for making your t-shirt quilt a success!
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!
This month is Movember, and if you haven’t heard, it’s a month dedicated to raising awareness for men’s health issues, from physical to mental and all aspects in between. To help call attention to men’s health, men are encouraged to grow a moustache, and start a conversation with those around them.
Some men have the ability to grow facial hair easily, and others not so much. I have joined the no-shave November club this month (although due to filming obligations, I started my shaving vacation a week early), and I suggest you visit Movember.com to learn how you can help educate others about men’s health issues. Along with hanging up my razor for the time being, I teamed up with Missouri Star Quilt Co to create this moustache pillow!
Let me tell you how much I love this moustache pillow! It’s everything you are looking for in a facial follicle-themed creation, with cozy minky and a cuddle-friendly design that make it the addition to your bed or couch you never knew you needed!
Read on below to learn how to make this fan{tache}tic project for yourself or that special guy in your life. To help you get started on your super ‘Stache pillow, we’ve included a FREE moustache template that you can download HERE!
Supplies needed:
1 yard of minky or cuddle fabric (We really liked the Cuddle Embossed Rose 60” Minky by Shannon Cuddle)
4 bags of Poly Fil
Step 1: Gather supplies and print off and tape together the moustache printable
Step 2: Fold 1 yard of minky/cuddle fabric vertically (on the long so that it is approximately 60 by 18 inches and pin together, right sides together (with the fuzzy side facing in)
Step 3: Print off your moustache template. We printed off two templates so that we could cut out the complete moustache, but you can easily flip the template after you finish cutting one side if you would like.
Step 4: Pin the pattern to the fabric. We pinned our moustache about every 3 to 4 inches, and used a few more pins around the curves to keep everything in place.
Step 5: Cut out your ‘stache using a pair of fabric scissors.
Step 6: With the right sides still together, start sewing! We used a serger on ours, but you can use a standard sewing machine. We recommend you use a zig zag pattern for extra security.
Step 7: Sew around the entire moustache, but leave a 6-inch opening so you can stuff it. We used almost four entire bags of Poly-Fil so we have a nice, full ‘stache
Step 8: Hand sew the opening closed using a blindstitch, and you are ready to rock your moustache pillow!
Step 9: Have some fun! What good is a moustache pillow without a ‘stache selfie?! Be sure to share yours with me on the Man Sewing Facebook or Instagram using #mansewing #movember
I hope that this tutorial for your very own moustache pillow will help you create something that will serve as a reminder to take care of yourself, and to encourage the other men in your life to do the same!
Imagine, if you will, a quilting superhero. She has out-of-this-world sewing skills, creative talents that defy description, and the superhuman ability to simplify even the most intricate projects.
Folks, I’m here to tell you that such a person does exist, and she has a name befitting her talents. Ms. Violet Craft is in the studio today to share her knowledge of English Paper Piecing. Click HERE to watch the tutorial and pick up your “The Lion” kit. This is one project you won’t be able to put down!
I’m here to tell you, no matter who you are, you need a bag! Today I’m working on a lined Foldover Bag with a zippered pocket, a heavy-duty strap, and a super durable cork fabric bottom. This bag would look awesome on a man or woman, and construction is a blast. Click HERE to watch the tutorial!
(You may remember that I used cork fabric in my Streamline Wallet tutorial. Cork fabric is a high-quality product, so you pay a little more upfront, but it wears like leather so it’s an investment worth making! Plus, you can order one roll and get two awesome projects out of it!)
Inspired by lumberjacks, cowboys, and Scottish warriors, the Buffalo Plaid Quilt is quite possibly the manliest quilt of all time.
This is the quilt you reach for after a chilly wood-chopping session. This is the quilt you sleep with in a snow cave carved with your bare hands. This is the quilt that will keep you warm after a long day of wrestling bears and alligators. It’s rugged stuff.
Of course, with a soft-as-butter flannel backing, it’s also super cuddly, and strip set construction makes it a cinch to put together. Click HERE to watch the tutorial.
(A big thanks to my pal, Shea Henderson, for sharing her awesome Buffalo Check pattern with me. Click HERE to take a peek at her website, Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio.)