Cruising to Hawaii - what to do?
 

My DH and I are cruising to Hawaii in November. We will have 8 days at sea. I need my quilting fix! What can I take with me to work on? Hand sewing, of course. I am asking for suggestions now so I can plan ahead and get fabric. Or, at least raid my stash and plan ahead. Maybe I can meet some other quilters and form a "long-distance" group. Please keep in mind that I am basically a beginner. I have been sewing clothes, dolls' bodies and clothes and craft items for over 50 years, but am new to quilting and this is a new experience to me. Loving it!!!

I love taking hand applique with me on rides...the subway to and from work, the high-speed train from Madrid to Barcelona, in the car, and so on. I work on relatively smaller pieces that fit in my lap so they don't drag on anything and get dirty. I made a little kit to hold thread, needle threaders, needles, pins. And a little folder to hold the fabrics. It's easy to transport and can be done virtually anywhere. Enjoy your cruise.

everything that nycquilter said. also, if your vision needs assistance, take extra glasses to be sure. have a wonderful time!

How about Cathedral Window or Grandmother's FLower Garden? I bet you will meet a lot of nice people as they stop to see what you are doing.

Personally I would just enjoy all the cruise has to offer. Taking a vacation from all the things you do everyday can really help recharge and get your juices flowing when you come back from vacation. When I go on vacation I'm truly on vacation!

I would second hand applique. I would find a nice project and prep the pieces ahead of time and take them with me. I will often prep a block ahead of time and take it with me when I know I will be sitting somewhere for a while. It's a nice way to enjoy my sitting around time. I love the patterns from Bee in My Bonnet personally, she does some of my absolute fave applique patterns. Let me know if you want a link to her site!!

Good luck!
Rachel

I took that cruise in Jan..and I had a fubulous time. I did not bring any sewing but I bought a few books and relaxed by reading.

We've been on a bunch of cruises and while it was before I quilted, there were usually enough activities that we were never bored. In case you think you might need a fix, I would second the suggestion of GFG all cut and ironed to freezer paper. I used to baste them and sew them together while in the car. In any case, enjoy your cruise and have fun!

Most of the time I agree with Scissor Queen. Vacation is a time for relaxation. However, this is not our first cruise and I am going to just relax. After all, I am retired and really need a vacation (said sarcastically). But seriously, I do enjoy sitting on the Promenade deck and people watching. I watch for sea animals and enjoy the passing people. With 4 days to Hawaii and 4 days back, I'll need something besides watching people, reading, walking, and eating. The bars are wonderful, but since I am diabetic, drinking is not an option. Thank you for all the great ideas and suggestions.

Hope you have and Awesome trip. It sounds like a dream to me. I would consider some hand applique, cross stitch, hand piecing, BUT most of all enjoy your trip and time with your husband!... It's not everyday to get to go on a cruise or to Hawaii!..

How about a Hawaiian quilt or pillow? One large block, made into a pillow would be nice. You will then have a memento of the cruise! Then when you get to Hawaii, you can check out the stores there and see the large Hawaiian quilts. Win Win!!

I understand you need for something quilty but you need to check out all that the ship has to offer. When we went to Alaska and were at sea days they offered cooking classes, computer classes, dance lessons and other activities. I took some had work and a book and never used either one. Have a great trip.

The very first thing to do is take me with you! You are so lucky! Have you ever dabbled in making a Grandmothers flower garden? It is wonderful hand work and they are small to carry. You will have to visit the quilt museum in hawaii.
Also, how about trying a hand appliqued hawaiian style quilt? What a great idea that would be!

Have a great time!
peace

GFG comes to mind, or any type of english paper piecing project

Just got back from a cruise in February. I brought some hand embroidery along as well as squares cut for a small GFG and squares cut for doing YoYo's. I didn't get much done except while waiting in the airport. At least it didn't take up much room in my carry on. Enjoy and relax!

Both of these are great projects and very portable. You could even work on them while you're sunning on the deck!!!!! Have a great time!!!!!

When a friend & I took a Mexican Riviera cruise, she sat soaking up the sun by the pool and I sat in the shade making a pair of socks in vivid Mexican colours. This was one of the "souvenirs" that I brought home and every time I wear them, I think of the lovely memories of that trip. We did a lot of touring in ports and lots of the on-board things but this was a nice sit by the pool and relax project for me - I could still people watch while knitting.

Do you like to embroider? If so find an iron on pattern you like, choose some good fabric, gather the threads. Work on embroidered blocks for a quilt. Many of the embroidery kits in stores are not on good quality fabric anymore but you can check those out, too.