Claire123

It's absolutely amazing the gear some people have. I take my regular machine, caddy with pins, extension cord, Best Press, etc. I love the gadgets some people have, but I am not there yet.

ManiacQuilter2

I am not that mobile anymore but make sure all you tools are marked with a address label or a colored ribbon.

tessagin

I don't go on retreats or to guild but my neighbor's daughter has 2 Bionic Gear Bags. She uses one at home and one for retreats or guild. She lives in a 2 bedroom house, very small. Her storage space is limited. She sets her sewing area up in her house like she's at a retreat. She is always ready for a retreat or guild. She has a 401 in a desk cabinet that doubles as a school desk for her 3 girls. She uses a small Janome for retreat. it fits in her sewing machine carrier with some room to spare. this girl is efficient and beyond.

Onebyone

For retreats I use a laundry basket to put packed bins to carry everything in at one time. My machine is in a rolling case. For classes or workshops I use a large tote packed with class supplies. I keep an extra machine in the car when I go away to sew. The extra machine has saved me and a few fellow class members who forgot the power cord or machine decided to mess up.

Luv Quilts and Cats

I have a huge nylon bag that has a continuous zipper on three sides. It has many pockets inside and out to hold all my tools and projects I am bringing. It even has an outside pocket for a 6 x 24 inch ruler! I got it a Keepsake Quilting in Center Harbor, NH. I am not sure if they still carry it, but they might. I have used it since I started quilting. The only thing is it can get a bit heavy. My sewing machine carrier has wheels so I will set the bag on top of that and roll everything together. I have been on several retreats with the gals I quilt with and this bag is my workhorse. Sometimes I will put projects in the 12 x 12 in plastic boxes. Since it is a casual retreat, I also bring a folding 4 foot table and a large TV table to create an L-shaped space. Everything else I bring is stuff to use over the 5 day retreat like food, snacks, clothes, pillow and blanket. We rent a beach house each year, get an awesome off season rate. We enjoy walks on the beach. The house has so many windows, the sun shines in and all is right with the world. If we forget something, someone usually has it. We are within walking distance of a Dunkin Donuts and a Walmart is near by if we need anything. We have so much fun! I would encourage you to get your friends together for a casual retreat. We plan our meals before we go and also eat out a couple of times. And we visit the local Joannes.

Pete

I love my tutto carrier, but when you load supplies plus machine, it is too heavy to lift in and out of the car!

Pete

Love Quilts and Cats...make me jealous! I love the water!

YukonViv

I have learned after attending many retreats that less is far easier. My Bernina in its travel bag is heavy enough. I try to pre cut what I can and put all fabric into a large ziplock. If it's a workshop I only bring that class's fabric, if it's a retreat I bring two projects. Gear wise I can fit my smaller cutting mat, my rotary and my 12.5" ruler in a tote with my zip locked project. I have a pencil case that I always keep my smaller bits in (scissors, stitch ripper, spare piecing thread, hand needles, etc.) and it's easy to pop that into the tote.

If it's a four day retreat I pack some wips, and a brand new project in a Rubbermaid tote and leave it in the car. If I need it or one of the projects it's easy to grab.

eparys

When I go to a quilt day or a retreat I always take more than I can do. I have gone on a retreat only to realize that I left a critical piece of the project home (I am sure that no one else does that!!) I pack each complete project I bring in its own clear plastic covered bin (fabric, pieces. thread if a particular color or weight is needed and anything else that would be project specific.

As far as sewing necessities - I have a stack of four snapware bins

https://www.amazon.com/Snapware-Snap...nap+%27n+stack

In the thinnest box I put rippers, chalk markers, fabric markers, pens and pencils. In another, I put Rotary Cutters, extra blades, Scissors and snippers. In another I store thread, bobbins already wound, extra machine needles, hand needles etc.

I have a large open tote that I permanently keep extension chords in and an Ikea LED lamp

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20169658/

and when I get ready to go I add in to that tote whatever rulers and pincushions I am taking.

I mark all my rulers with the "free" address labels we get at Christmas time (lol) and all my scissors and rotary cutters have a cell phone charm strap looped on to them with a bead hanging from it so I can easily identify my equipment. I transport all this stuff along with my machine on a Magna Folding cart I found at a flea market.