Do you have favorite projects to take on vacations or trips? I have been thinking about something to stitch in the motel, sitting around with friends... and thought it would be fun to start this thread. I always have a book and some simple knitting, but what about...?
Dotty in NYC going to Connecticutt

I find that english paper piecing is very portable. I take it everywhere and work on it a little at a time.

English paper piecing...has kept me sane during some harrowing "waits". I am working on a queen size "Grandmother's Garden" a "magnum opus" for sure...I have been working on it for some years on and off. After seeing some completed since joining this board, every evening I have been "hexing" hope to finish the top well before the end of the year and then decide if I will quilt it or have it done "professionally". Anyway, you might like to try it, I find it has started some interesting conversations.

English paper pieced Grandmother's Flower Garden type quilt & simple crochet scarves & wash cloths.

I take my sewing machine if I know there will be long boring stretches in a motel or condo. I work on paper piecing usually because there is a maid to clean up all the papers trimmings! I bring a 18x24" June Tailor Press & Cut board, my 45mm rotary cutter, paper foundations, thread, my old mechanical sewing machine, & 18" & 6.5" square rulers and whatever fabric I need for the project I'm working on. If I'm paper piecing, I also bring my Clover mini-iron and it's coffee mug home. I have made swap blocks while on vacation several times--even ran out to a quilt shop in Myrtle Beach one time to buy fabric to work on swap blocks.

Planning out what you need to finish the job and then sneaking it all in with the regular luggage or threatening a hissy fit if space isn't found works for me!

Keep at that Grandm's flower Garden. I'v made two queen sized. The 2nd one I'm almost finished hand quilting it. I make my templetes out of cereal boxes. If I loose a few in my travels I always have more in the pantry ready to be made. I take my project when I Baby sit so I'm not so bored.

I too take a paperback book, a crossword puzzle book, my MP3 player, and some English paper piecing. I am currently working on a tumbling block wall hanging made out of fruit fabrics.

Have a safe trip!

We camp a lot -- I try to take everything, including the kitchen sink (OH - we have a trailer - yip I take the kitchen sink, too! :-P ). I told DH that on this trip, I was just taking knitting and books. We'll be gone 2-3 weeks.....I've added a wall hanging I'm appliqueing ----so far :mrgreen:

I do all my cutting out of quilts in hotel rooms. I travel about 3 days per week for my job. The desks in hotels are great for setting up a cutting mat. I use a 9 x 12 Omni folder which has a cutting board on one side and an ironing board on the other. Put each square in a ziploc so when you get home to sew it is all organized. Also doing fusible web for appliques is good because all hotels have an iron. Then when I get home I can sit right down to sew without the hassle of cutting anything.

Funny you should ask...I am currently on a three-week trip and had given some thought to projects I could do while traveling. I brought materials to make a reversible quilt-as-you-go (which could also be done by machine) and have made several blocks so far.

One of our stops while driving was a quilt shop where I purchased a yo-yo maker and have done a bunch of them. Could only get the really small one so it'll be a doll quilt at best.

Then we went to a quilt show where the give-away was a set to make a flower using English paper piecing...and I decided this would be best of all. So I agree with many who already posted.

BTW on previous trips I did QAYG blocks with interesting quilting designs (shells) and cathedral windows that can be made into a tote bag.

WE WANT PICTURES! WE WANT PICTURES! :)