I'm working on some applique and when I had eaten a sandwich at lunch yesterday and still had a half hour I was wishing I had some sewing with me.

What have you found to be the best thing to carry your work with you? Something designed for travel and places for thread, pins, and needles? Something you made or bought?

When I was working I would take fabric that needed cutting. I would do the strips the night before and have a small mat (5x5inches) When I had time left (and I always did because I eat too fast) I would get that out and get some squares done. I also like to cut while I am watching television. I sometimes am very surprised at how much I get done during a movie.

I vary a lot in what I travel with. I actually have a number of totes (10 to be exact) set up to carry the different projects. One I carry when flying would be with color pencils, pencil sharpener, grid paper, magazines and idea books. Another would be for the various stuffed animals I have designed - this one carries all the cut pieces, sharp needles, good scissors and thicker thread for sewing the fake & real fur. And yet another tote big enough for a 18x24 cutting mat, with rotary cutter, favorite 5x24 ruler, fabrics, pattern, clippers, straight pins and post-its to jot notes down.
Though I have many totes ready to go the one I always carry in the car is for my applique which consists of a number of little projects in individual zip bags along with their threads and needles. And to make things a bit neater, I covered a thin 10x10 board with flannel so I can lay my pieces out on them to organize them before sewing. This keeps most of my fabric pieces from slipping all over the place and getting lost in my travels.
The tote I carry to class is deep enough to carry my double sided unit that has a cutting mat on one side and ironing pad on the other, along with numerous pockets for all my tools. This I designed and made for myself.
I gave up smoking 20+ years ago and found that sewing is the only way to keep my hands busy now. I also cut out many of my projects while watching (listening) to TV shows or movies.
Over the years I received many totes and found the one I designed for myself has been my favorite. You might try making one just for you.

The Gerber plastic baby food containers are perfect for take along appliqué. The containers stay sealed and keep everything tidy in a tote or sewing bag.

I use a gift card tin for threaded needles on embroidery floss holders. I put several in tin, along with mini scissors, my leather thimble, and a small needle threader in case my thread pulls out of needle. I have several set up and ready with pre-threaded needles in different colors. When I am working on small projects, I put it in a dollar store small zippered bag, like for hygiene stuff. If doing larger items, I use a bad I got at a garage sale, like a laptop bag with pockets for needed tools. like better scissors, pill bottle with pins, etc... Everything fits in and it is ready to travel when I do.

That gives me some ideas about things around the house I probably have. I have a medium sized quilted tote and I remembered that I have a bunch of 1" high and 2 1/2" round plastic cases with a screw-on lid that I was saving for my granddaughter to just put stuff in (like little and BIG girls like to do). They are empty containers of mineral powder foundation (makeup). Those are pefect for pins and the lids won't accidentally come off.

I use one of makeup bag giveaways that I've gotten over the years. It's not that big, big enough to hold some marking pencils, holds several spools of thread and small scissors. I use one of the Altoids chewing gum tins for needles. Also use them for used needles.

I too use a zip up make up bag, because I have an ongoing postage stamp quilt. The squares are 2 cm square, and I cut the fabric first, have the papers cut, then they can all go in the make up bag, with small scissore, needle and thread. Then I tack each fabric square over the paper, and sew them together in blocks of 16 squared, English Paper piecing method. VERY portable.

I take punch embroidery when we go on a cruise and just regular embroidery for day to day waiting. If I am not in the mood, I keep a book handy!
Judith

I go for simplicity.. one reason that I love samplers. I almost always have a block..or a few that are cut out and have small copies of piecing diagrams for that block. I put a piecing diagram, the cut out, marked pieces for said block, a small pair of thread snipping scissors, a spool of thread with needles threaded on it, and a little pin packet, made of a small piece of quilted fabric to store a few sewing pins in. You could also add a thimble if you use on.. I put it all in a zip lock bag and drop it in my purse.. depending on where I'm going I'll tuck one or two (or more) in and enjoy while I'm having "downtime" wherever.. I've done that for years.