Quilt Shop Tour Day One

Quilt Shop Tour Day

Just wanted to show off a few photos from this morning. We are deep into the Central Coast Quilt Shop Tour. We are celebrating our inner hippies, as The Grateful Thread, come out and jam with us. Peace, Rob

Endangered Species Quilt Project - New Releases

Drum Roll Please......

As promised here they are the Three Newest Endangered Species Quilt Patterns

The Percula Clownfish

The Green Sea Turtle

and The Polar Bear

As always the quilts are fusible applique consisting of entirely of Michael Miller's Fairy Frost fabrics and their Jet Black. We have been raising awareness and money for the animals through the sales of the quilt patterns. We are so proud to boast that we have sold over 1800 patterns in the past six months and raised over $6000.00 that has been donated to World Wildlife Fund. Get your pattern today at http://www.robappell.com/

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Its off to Market I go

Just about an hour before I jump in my trusty pick up and drive to the airport. Next stop, Minneapolis, MN for International Quilt Market. I will be hanging with the Michael Miller Team as we set free the New Endangered Species Quilts. We launch the next three in the series, and yes I will post them very, very soon. But First, the newest quilt

"A Rose in Peace"

Created for the Central Coast Quilt Shop Tour June 4-6, 2010. This quilt is made completely of Michael Miller's Fairy Frost Fabric and Aurfil thread. Come by The Cotton Ball in Morro Bay, CA during the shop tour and get a free pattern for this quilt. We are celebrating one of my favorite bands of all time by deeming ourselves "The Grateful Thread" and we will be rockin and truckin all weekend long. The new Endangered Species Quilts will be hanging too.........

Any Better I Couldn't Stand It!

Life is, well at least for this quilt maker. So many exciting things going on as Spring Quilt Market is just around the corner. Putting the finishing touches on the Three New Quilts, making new friends with big companies that may want to help sponsor The Endangered Species Quilt Project (here is a hint) and the biggest news of the week is......

I live interview with this kid on Pat Sloan's Creative Talk Radio Monday 3rd, 1pm Pacific Time.

I am going to have so much fun, the only thing I do better than quilt is to talk, and talk and talk.....

will one hour be enough time, tune in to find out. http://creativetalknetwork.com/

Cheers, Rob

OH YEAH!

So I have been offered to join "The A-Team" which in 2010 means The Aurifil Threads premier designers team of thread-a-holics. I am a child of '80s TV, so I originally thought that I was going to get a cool van and ride around fighting crime.

As a quilter I use a ton of thread and crappy thread and I do not get along.

I am so stoked to be a part of the Aurifil Team, their threads are truly the best threads on the planet.

They have sent me several styles of thread to try, so me and my team of experts are going to find the styles of thread from Aurifil that suite our needs as aggressive quilters and then....

We get to pick our 40 favorite colors to have our own thread collection to share with all of you

Stay Tuned for our color picks, do not worry the colors will not all be shades of pink as my little girl has requested.

Cheers, Rob

The New Year, 2010

Happy Decade to all of my followers, yes there are some. Actually, I see that the total population of people looking at this blog has doubled in the past few months. That is right, Chuck and Kathi, there are now a few more on lookers. Therefore, my resolution is to blog better. Not to rant and rave, but to post encouraging stuff like the next tid bit.

The Endangered Species Quilts and I are getting ready to head to Ontario, CA for the big quilt show, "Road to California" so if you are near there then, come give me a hug, get your Endangered Species Quilt Project wrist band. Hell, buy me a beer and hang out for a while. I am so jazzed. The Patterns have already allowed Michael Miller Fabrics and myself to donate almost $4500.00 in the past few months, and soon the world will get to see them too. Wish me luck, Rob

Cotton Ball's 3rd Birthday

So As many of you may know on September 12th,

we celebrated three years in our new store.

Yes, I know we have been around for over forty years,

but only three at 1199 Main Street in Morro Bay. So, I put on my Saturday's best clothes and marched down to the shop to hand out tiaras,

balloons, cupcakes and lemonade.... Just the kind of party for a bunch of three year olds.

Our friends dropped by for some laughs and prizes.

Mary Jo Hiney was there to support all the gals that participated in the bag contest,

as well as demo an awesome new pattern using her Silk Adaptations. I was in charge of making noise and and clowning around, yes I did a good job. To all our friends that came by , thanks for the love and support over the years, and to those who did not make it, we missed you , and too appreciate your support and energy, because if you are reading this, then you are a part of The Cotton Ball Family, Thanks!!!!!!!!