with Rob Appell
I love making handmade gifts for my friends and family, but it can be a struggle to come up with something cool for the hard-to-buy-for crowd. But this year, I’ve got a pretty good solution!
My Flannel Infinity Scarf is stylish, practical, and totally customizable. Your fabric choice can make this project great for men, women, or even teens. It’s easy to make and super soft. Click HERE to watch the tutorial!
Rev up those sewing machines and get ready to stitch, cuz I’ve got two new FMQ motifs that are going to rock your holiday socks off!
Pumpkins and vines are perfect for all kinds of festive quilt projects. So crank up your favorite Halloween/ Thanksgiving/Christmas mix tape, and have a blast whipping up these cool little designs! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!
I knew the first ever Sharkapalooza Week at Missouri Star Quilt Co and Man Sewing had to be special, and what better way to celebrate this fintastic week, than with a FREE Shark Applique Design download!
To make this project, I grabbed my trusty Shark Applicutter, a Colors of Moda–Blues Fat Quarter Bundle, and some Heat N Bond Feather Lite and ironed on some fusible before I dove into cutting! Once I had all of my pieces ready to go, I went directly to my sewing machine…I couldn’t wait to see this shark come to life! After sewing the appliqué, I used a remaining fat quarter as a backing, added some batting and created a shark sandwich! Then came my favorite part, the free motion quilting! I added some splashes and waves to give our Shark friend a fun place to hang out!
I had a whale of a good time creating this applique design, and I’m sure you will too! I turned my Shark Applique into a 18.5” by 17.5” wall hanging, and I think this design would look great on nautical-themed quilts, pillows and more!
If you want to see how the project came together for me, check out this stop-motion video on my Man Sewing YouTube channel!
Stitch in the ditch is a style of machine quilting that simply follows the seam lines of the quilt top. The trouble is, all those layers of fabric and batting can really bog down the operation.
My advice? Swap out your presser foot for a walking foot. The walking foot is like “4-wheel drive” for your machine. It gently guides the top layer of fabric in sync with the feed dogs, so everything stays smooth and properly sandwiched.
Click HERE to learn how to stitch in the ditch with your walking foot!
In many forms of art, there are no shortcuts. No “marble carving made easy.” No “glass blowing for dummies.” Talent must be honed over years of meticulous practice, and even then, it takes a good dose of natural ability to succeed.
Luckily, quilting is one art that can be enjoyed by just about everyone, no matter your skill level. Today’s Checkered Cross is an intricate design, but the construction is so simple, even a beginner can tackle this quilt! Click HERE to watch the vid!
Love getting lost in your work? Today’s new project will allow you to really dive in without getting too dirty.
Rob’s Workshop Apron splits and fastens at the legs to give you extra protection and great mobility. Home mechanics, painters, clay artists, and crafters of all varieties would be lucky to find this apron underneath their Christmas tree (hint, hint). Click on the button below to watch the tutorial and make your own workshop apron!
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!
Messy stitches. Loose threads. Clanking metal. Lint clogs. When you’re in the quilting groove, there’s nothing more frustrating than an out-of-whack sewing machine. Luckily, there are a few tips and techniques that can get your machine up and running in no time, and Rob is just the guy to show you how! In fact, he gets pretty excited about taking care of his machines!
This week Rob has released a series of three video tutorials to guide you through do-it-yourself repair and maintenance. He’ll also help you diagnose problems that require professional attention. With over 15 years of experience as a sewing machine technician, you can count on Rob to give you the inside scoop!
Click on the image below to see all three Machine Maintenance tutorials!
Friendly suggestion: Make sure you’re subscribed to the Man Sewing YouTube Channel, so you can come back to these over and over again!
