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
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Cotton Ball's 3rd Birthday
So As many of you may know on September 12th, 
Our friends dropped by for some laughs and prizes. 
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!!!!!!!!
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,
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.
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, 
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!!!!!!!!Thursday, May 21, 2009
Hey That's my Hat
So a good friend of mine, Tim Costa, is now on tour with The Wailers, yes The Wailer! So I decided to kick down a few hats for the band members. Rumor has it that this young lady 
has stolen a Free World Textiles Hat from The Wailers' Bus.
If you see her wearing it, please give her a hug for me and ask her if she would also wear a pink one.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
New Quilts
well, Yes, I did decide to finally post something new for both of my subscribers, thanks again Chuck and Kathy D.
So it has been a huge couple of months for this little quilt maker. Almost immediately after I returned from Costa Rica, I found myself inspired to change my focus and get back into the design studio. Prior to the trip Michael Miller Fabrics invited me to lend a mind and hand in coming up with a program that we could do that would allow us artists to make a difference on a global level. I thought to myself, "Self, that should be a breeze." Well fortunately enough I was able to spend a good deal of time with my son in Costa Rica making videos of the local animals in their native habitat. I realized that the second best thing for me about CR (surfing the obvious first thing)was watching the animals roam freely in their own environment. Wow! I must have spent three hours watching a big female iguana chase all the other males out of the trees near her spot, than have a snack break on the local flowers, then rest in the sun. I had never seen a twelve pound lizard fall from twenty foot up in a tree, THUD! Then she just walked away, amazing.....
Oh yes the quilts,
So I convince Michael Miller Fabrics to send me a whole box of their newest colors of the Fairy Frost Fabric, and I began creating quilts to help raise money for the Endangered Species. I have already created four, up-close and personal animal face quilts and patterns, fabric bundles and complete quilt kits. The response to the quilts has truly been overwhelming. They are very simple raw-edge applique projects finishing around forty inches square. Hope you like them, and you may visit my website to get your own supplies and start helping out too.
Bengal Tiger by Rob Appell
Brown Pelican by Rob Appell
Red Eyed Tree Frog by Rob Appell
Giant Panda by Rob Appell
So it has been a huge couple of months for this little quilt maker. Almost immediately after I returned from Costa Rica, I found myself inspired to change my focus and get back into the design studio. Prior to the trip Michael Miller Fabrics invited me to lend a mind and hand in coming up with a program that we could do that would allow us artists to make a difference on a global level. I thought to myself, "Self, that should be a breeze." Well fortunately enough I was able to spend a good deal of time with my son in Costa Rica making videos of the local animals in their native habitat. I realized that the second best thing for me about CR (surfing the obvious first thing)was watching the animals roam freely in their own environment. Wow! I must have spent three hours watching a big female iguana chase all the other males out of the trees near her spot, than have a snack break on the local flowers, then rest in the sun. I had never seen a twelve pound lizard fall from twenty foot up in a tree, THUD! Then she just walked away, amazing.....
Oh yes the quilts,
So I convince Michael Miller Fabrics to send me a whole box of their newest colors of the Fairy Frost Fabric, and I began creating quilts to help raise money for the Endangered Species. I have already created four, up-close and personal animal face quilts and patterns, fabric bundles and complete quilt kits. The response to the quilts has truly been overwhelming. They are very simple raw-edge applique projects finishing around forty inches square. Hope you like them, and you may visit my website to get your own supplies and start helping out too.
Bengal Tiger by Rob Appell
Brown Pelican by Rob Appell
Red Eyed Tree Frog by Rob Appell
Giant Panda by Rob Appell
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Going International
Home safe, as many of you may know the entire family and I were lucky enough to spend last week in Costa Rica, at the Hotel Las Tortugas. The trip was amazing, the surf was working and we all traveled and played very well together. So the best part, The Hotel now has one of my quilts hanging in the main lobby. The hotel is absolutely wonderful, complete with a beautiful beach, kid friendly pool, excellent restaurant, and fabulous staff. It is a huge honor to be welcomed to display my art in Costa Rica, now you all must go on vacation to Hotel Las Tortugas and see the quilt in person.
Monday, November 17, 2008
The Big Scam, bastards almost got me!
to spare all of you with all of the details that make me out to be even more gullible than I, but make you all aware that it certainly could happen to you, the story goes like this...
September I am contacted by what appeared to be a nice young lady wanting to visit Morro Bay while on a break from her overseas university to learn about quilt making. I do teach quilting professionally, this this was not too absurd, especially due to the fact that I am not the average quilt maker. It was to be all so easy, her father, a high ranking military official contacted me to set up travel plans and payment arrangements. Still no problem. October came and went and she never showed up. Oh well guess it was a scam, but neither party gained anything, so maybe a practical joke played by one of my friends (however, none of them are clever enough to pull off something this elaborate with multiple email addresses, government officials and quilting) November, I get this email stating that the lady will be arriving in five day in just a few days, her exams had gone long (never heard of that before - fall break being delayed by five weeks) and the money, $1000.00, would be arriving to cover my fees. At this point I am pissed off that they think I can just drop what I am doing and accommodate this gals needs, but being that a grand sounds good, i figured I could work her in. On the day she was to arrive, the Money Orders did show up. Wow, I tore into the envelope air mailed from the US embassy, and found $4600.00 in money orders. Most tipping happens at the end of my events, so I became even more skeptical. I then received an email on the following stating that I had been accidentally shipped all the funds and I was to simply deposit all the money orders into my bank then send out the funds less my fees of course. The student to be was now stuck without her travel money so I needed to do wire the funds to two separate accounts overnight. RED FLAG! Fortunately for me I was always leery, so prior to cashing the total money orders, I asked the Bank, they said if I cashed or deposited the money order, the funds were my responsibility just like a check. If they were counterfeit, oh by the way they were counterfeit, I would have been out the money. If I would have sent the funds back, I would have really been out the money, Money orders take several days to clear the banks, but they will give you funds on demand. So, if you ever find yourselves in a situation where you were "overpaid" in money orders, never give a refund until you check the bank of origin of the money orders to make sure they are legit. As for me, all they got was a bunch of my time in correspondence, I understand that many have not been so lucky. Yes, it is their job to try to rip you off, so they may spend several months setting you up for the fall, if it feels weird it most likely is so be careful.
September I am contacted by what appeared to be a nice young lady wanting to visit Morro Bay while on a break from her overseas university to learn about quilt making. I do teach quilting professionally, this this was not too absurd, especially due to the fact that I am not the average quilt maker. It was to be all so easy, her father, a high ranking military official contacted me to set up travel plans and payment arrangements. Still no problem. October came and went and she never showed up. Oh well guess it was a scam, but neither party gained anything, so maybe a practical joke played by one of my friends (however, none of them are clever enough to pull off something this elaborate with multiple email addresses, government officials and quilting) November, I get this email stating that the lady will be arriving in five day in just a few days, her exams had gone long (never heard of that before - fall break being delayed by five weeks) and the money, $1000.00, would be arriving to cover my fees. At this point I am pissed off that they think I can just drop what I am doing and accommodate this gals needs, but being that a grand sounds good, i figured I could work her in. On the day she was to arrive, the Money Orders did show up. Wow, I tore into the envelope air mailed from the US embassy, and found $4600.00 in money orders. Most tipping happens at the end of my events, so I became even more skeptical. I then received an email on the following stating that I had been accidentally shipped all the funds and I was to simply deposit all the money orders into my bank then send out the funds less my fees of course. The student to be was now stuck without her travel money so I needed to do wire the funds to two separate accounts overnight. RED FLAG! Fortunately for me I was always leery, so prior to cashing the total money orders, I asked the Bank, they said if I cashed or deposited the money order, the funds were my responsibility just like a check. If they were counterfeit, oh by the way they were counterfeit, I would have been out the money. If I would have sent the funds back, I would have really been out the money, Money orders take several days to clear the banks, but they will give you funds on demand. So, if you ever find yourselves in a situation where you were "overpaid" in money orders, never give a refund until you check the bank of origin of the money orders to make sure they are legit. As for me, all they got was a bunch of my time in correspondence, I understand that many have not been so lucky. Yes, it is their job to try to rip you off, so they may spend several months setting you up for the fall, if it feels weird it most likely is so be careful.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Highs and Lows (and highs agian)
Wow, what a roller coaster the past week has been. First, my wife went to colorado for a few days, that left my 5 year old son, my 3 year old daughter and myself to find something wonderful to do. We did. A Dads and Kids camp out on the beach, with the off shore winds, it would proove bo be quite nice ieven in october, but the winds changed and we froze. Not the whole time, just in the mornings and at night, so most of the time. We did servive, heck, we did great. Well the racoons ate all of our breakfast foods, but we still did great.
A long weekend fell heavy into a long, busy week. The climax was learning that the retreat that has been planned and sold out for november, was never really on the books at the lodge. Yes, I had to scramble, but luckily almost all the gals planning on coming can make the change of date to the following weekend. I love to host the retreats, and to think I had messed it up that bad was heartbreaking. The embroidery Collection, may show up soon at the shop to start filling the orders, but untill then, I just released four quilts that have been shot with a mega high resolution camera and my bubbies at Foreverstoked matted and mounted some as prints. So now we can offer 8x10 or 16x20 prints of "La Playa Loca", Scuba Time", "Beyound the Tides" and "The Twizzleman Poject" all that in one week, life is never dull.
A long weekend fell heavy into a long, busy week. The climax was learning that the retreat that has been planned and sold out for november, was never really on the books at the lodge. Yes, I had to scramble, but luckily almost all the gals planning on coming can make the change of date to the following weekend. I love to host the retreats, and to think I had messed it up that bad was heartbreaking. The embroidery Collection, may show up soon at the shop to start filling the orders, but untill then, I just released four quilts that have been shot with a mega high resolution camera and my bubbies at Foreverstoked matted and mounted some as prints. So now we can offer 8x10 or 16x20 prints of "La Playa Loca", Scuba Time", "Beyound the Tides" and "The Twizzleman Poject" all that in one week, life is never dull.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)