I go to two retreats each year and have for about 12 years now. I tend to be the lightest packer of the group--A shopping bag or duffel for my clothes and toiletries, my handwork, and a quilt for show and tell. In another bag, I bring my project, two rulers (1x6 and 6x24), my pins, thread holder thingy, and whatever may be needed for the project. In my sewing machine case are pins, seam ripper, sewing machine necessaries (extra needles, screwdriver, cleaning the machine things). I think there was only one or two years where I needed something I hadn't brought.