Quilting projects to bring for travelling
 

I'll be travelling in June and intend to bring along some small sewing/quilting projects to do while on the go, to help spend idle time during the plane trip and cold winter nights. Any suggestions on what I could bring along, that will not take up too much luggage space? I'm thinking of applique tops for mug rugs, coasters, totes. Any other suggestions?

hexagons..

English Paper Piecing - hexis or other would be good and not take up too much space. Applique is another.

for hexagon info see 12 (hexagon templates) ahead of you in this section

Hexagons or small double hatchet (also known as apple core) pieces. Easy to hand sew.

I would recommend hand piecing a small project. I once pieced a bunch of half square triangles for a border (I hand pieced the rest of the small project too) while travelling.

I love to take the hexagons. They are so portable and easy to take with me.

Tartan .... please tell use more!
(I googled, but found nothing that made sense!)



VivienTan ... I'm another for hexies, though they can be bulky ... plus managing all the little pieces on a plane might make them awkward (almost impossible?) to work on. Embroidery would be a simpler project and yet you could do some really intricate work. If carrying/storage is an issue while travelling, embroidery would definitely take up less space for the time it would take to you to complete the work.

Google "thread cutter necklace" and you will find lots of them! http://www.jimmybeanswool.com/knitti...FU8Q7AodlCwAvw

Wow...seems like hexies are the way to go! I've never attempted hexies, maybe now's the time to do so. Are there any free tutorials for beginners like me?

[QUOTE=QuiltE;6714658]Tartan .... please tell use more!
(I googled, but found nothing that made sense!)

Clover calls it a Thread Cutting Pendant. I bought mine at JoAnn, but Amazon sells it, and I think I saw one at WalMart. Besides Clover, I saw a Susan Bates version and a Dritz version when I looked at Amazon. They are a circular blade, like rotary cutter blade, inside a pendant with small notches to cut thread.

I take applique just about everywhere I go. I have the applique pieces turned under and ironed onto freezer paper with all the other pieces for that block. Each block is in it's own quart baggie. They all fit neatly inside a gallon bag - I made a tote just slightly larger to also hold thread, thimble, seam ripper, glasses, and wallet. Makes it easy to get what I need for wherever I am. I can add more to it if I need to and it still stows under an airplane seat. I take the tote everywhere I go that I will be sitting and waiting. And the pendant thread cutter is perfect.

If traveling by plane remember you can not take your scissors with you inside the cabin or that was the case last time I checked.

I vote for applique. I appliqued 80% of this quilt travelling on planes, on a cruise, waiting in Airports and visiting family. I put prepared circles, precut 6 1/2" background squares, small thread snip scissors and a little square of batting to hold my needles and pins along with three spools of silk thread (a light, medium and dark) in a quart size ziplock bag and slid it into my carry on tote.

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They have completely relaxed that. TSA for the US allows any scissors, even pointy ones as long as the blade does not exceed 4". http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-informat...ohibited-items Here is quote from site: Scissors - metal with pointed tips and blades shorter than 4 inches are allowed, but blades longer than 4 inches are prohibited

I had no trouble traveling with small thread scissors, like the kind used for embroidery. Singapore may have different requirements.

Your quilt is beautiful! It's unbelievable that it's appliqued while travelling on planes. Our customs are pretty strict about carrying scissors or any other sharp objects, but I may get around it by cutting my embroidery floss in advance and storing them in zip lock bags. I hope needles are allowed on planes though.

I'm going to be doing these little houses as handwork

something else I've done were cathedral window and

what I know as Chinese cathedral window which has batt under the focus fabric and the background window frame folds in. Each unit is finished and as your attach the windows to each other you have a much lighter cathedral window quilt. Much more a hexie look that the four melon strips as in a standard cathedral window.

I couldn't find any photos :) If I remember, I'll get a sample out to show you.

I also take the makings for yo-yo's. Don't know what I will do with them yet, but am using up those awkward little scraps in my stash.

Found it! Padded Hexagons or Pad as you go hexagons
by Irma Chelsworth from Down Under Quilts March 1991

There are two acrylic forms, that went with the set and I have a feeling mine samples are nothing like the pattern :)
but for what it's worth, one more hand
project..

The rules have changed for scissors as noted above. But be aware that if you are traveling outside the US, rules may differ. My cute thread snips were confiscated leaving Turks & Caicos last summer. Nothing was posted in the check-in area to warn of that or I would have transferred them to my checked bag before going through security. I've also had a pair of child's safety scissors taken in Japan. Short blade/rounded tip scissors have been allowed on board flights for the past decade or so (I talked to multiple TSA screeners during that time and generally put the scissors in the same bin with my shoes so that they could see them easily.

TSA used to forbid the cutter style necklace because of the hidden blade. It is not expressly forbidden on their list now. People have used dental floss containers in the past as a cutter as well on planes.

Cheers, K

I made a cord from embroidery floss and attached a pair of baby nail clippers (they do not have a nail file). They are attached to my bag with a safety pin. The cord is very usefully when you drop them down the side of the seat on the plane. Ask me how I know! :)