How to Travel the Man Sewing Way!

Man Sewing gives me a lot of fun opportunities to travel and I’ve become a bit of an expert, if I do say so myself. Traveling can be cumbersome and draining, or it can be smooth sailing. I prefer to make things as easy as possible on myself and plan ahead. I’ve even used quite a few of my own tutorials to whip up some awesome accessories to carry along with me wherever I go. So take my advice, the extra suitcase is worth it to carry along the comforts of home.

Useful Travel Tips from Rob Appell of Man Sewing!

My travel must-haves include:

  • A tablet. This incredible device has just about everything I need to keep myself entertained, whether it’s with a book, videos, or music. Plus, it includes maps and email, to keep me connected. Did you know, tablets don’t even have to be stowed before the plane takes off, so I get extra time to chill.

Useful Travel Tips from Rob Appell of Man Sewing

  • Noise-cancelling headphones. Carve out a little piece of privacy with these lightweight, high quality headphones. And they don’t drain your battery life because they attach the old school way, with a cord.
  • My personalized coffee kit. I’m pretty particular about the way I like my java, so I skip the Starbucks line and whip up my own fresh batch of brew with a French press travel mug. It’s a total lifesaver. It also allows me to carry along energy bars and muesli too, which I can eat hot or cold. Watch my Kraft-Tex Coffee Kit Tutorial HERE

Kraft-Tex Coffee Kit Tutorial with Rob Appell of Man Sewing

  • A yoga mat. Every morning I like to start my day off with a zen moment. This yoga mat fits in my suitcase and goes everywhere I go. Did you know that some airports even have yoga rooms? I couldn’t believe it myself!
  • A Man Sewing water bottle. I don’t go anywhere without it! Stay hydrated with this rugged, stainless steel, wood-finish water bottle by Rockit. Keep it empty on the way into the airport, go through security, and then fill it up for the rest of your trip.

Rob Appell at Quilt Market 2016 with his Man Sewing water bottle.

  • My knitting tool caddy. When the urge to create strikes me, I’m always ready. Knitting is a great way to pass the time when I’m traveling, and it keeps me calm when the road might get a little rough. Learn how to make your own knitting tool caddy HERE

Knitting Tool Caddy Tutorial by Rob Appell of Man Sewing

  • A power adapter. Do NOT forget this handy item! Stay charged up between flights and keep yourself from getting bored while traveling. There’s nothing worse than running out of battery life at the beginning of a long flight.

Before you hop on that plane, remember, a Man Sewing trip is much more fun than just a regular trip. Traveling can be a lot easier when you have the essentials. Catch you later!

Guys & Glaciers Quilting Cruise 2016

 

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).

Alaska Drive

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?

Alasak Craft

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.

Guys and glaciers group

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.

Rob and Jenny almost to the peak of Mt Roberts in Juneau

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!

Sister’s Oregon Trip

Hey everyone! I wanted to take a minute and share some (A LOT) of the pictures from my trip to Sister’s Oregon! I taught some classes at the Quilter’s Affair event and then volunteered at The Stitchin’ Post to sell some Quilt Show gear and checked out the sweet quilts on display! I had an absolute blast but man is it great to be home with my family again!

color strata 1

I taught a few classes this week, the Color Strata Quilt class, Endangered Species Quilt class and Making friends with Your Quilting Machine with Rob Appell and Barbara Shape! All were fun, I can’t ever pick favorites. The quilts from my classes turned out great!!!

color strata new

Here are some of the pictures that I shared/reposted on Instagram! Super cool!

 

 

This is outside The Stitchin’ Post! This year the Outdoor Quilt Show had over 2,000 quilts on display!! It was awesome!!

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My buddy Mike had a few quilts on display! I loved this one that be brought!

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The detail that he puts into his projects really amazes me! Isn’t this awesome??

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It is always great to meet new quilting friends!  This was a last minute photo of Sarah Fielke and I.  She designed the cool Snippets fabric by  Windham that I used in the Weighted Pin Cushion Tutorial.  She is such a nice lady and a great designer!!

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The drive home was nothing short of beautiful! I had to pull over and snap this pic of Mount Shasta!

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Until next year, Sisters, OR!