What is your favorite portable project?
 

Later this week, I will begin attending a weekly "sit-n-sew" at a wonderful quilt shop (I will only go once a month as I live 60 miles away). Each person works on whatever they like to bring. I tend to not lug my machine to classes, but just go take notes and enjoy the fellowship of other quilters - then actually sew at home. At first, I was trying to think of a new project to work on, but I'm also considering working on hexies or something similar that is small and easy to carry. What are your favorites? THX!

Hexies/GFG are my latest favourite on-the-go project.
I have everything kitted in a zippered CD case.
So it's nice and small and tucks nicely in a purse or tote.

hex's right now are my (travel) sit around and stitch project---I also like working on cathedral windows...I haven't worked on my Cathedral window project in a while- it is white on white backgrounds & batiks in the windows...someday it will be a shade in my sewing room- I love the way the sun shines through the batiks. anyhow---those are my favorite carry around projects right now- changes all the time- tumbling blocks were last years main sit around project. had lots of fun with those.

I try to have hand work to do. Bindings and the like. The machinens are too heavy to lug back and forth, and I only live a few blocks from where we quilt!

Yo yo's are really easy to do ... and do by hand while having fun sharing with others.

I was going to say yo yos also! I have a lidded basket with fabric squares, Clover yo yo makers, needles, thread and scissors. It sits by my side of the couch and goes in the car when we are traveling. I don't have a project in mind for them yet but I do have a bunch of them made and I will be ready when inspiration hits!

OK, AliKat and auntpiggylpn, I am intrigued with the Clover yoyo makers, but what does a person do with a bunch of yoyos? A quilt or coverlet made of them doesn't get backed, right? This probably sounds stupid, but I see myself getting tangled up or toes stuck through the open spaces where they are joined together. Please help, I'm yoyo challenged, lol. :-)

Here is one where the yo yos are sewn to a quilt top http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/pdfs/Bloom_Quilt.pdf

here is one where they actually put fiberfill inside the yo yos. http://mousechirpy-polkadotpineapple...-yo-quilt.html


And here are some projects using yo yos. http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/techni...jects_ss2.html

I believe that if you make a yo yo coverlet without backing, you lay it across another blanket; but if you attach your yo yos securely on all four sides, I don't know why you couldn't use it like any other blanket or quilt. I'm really liking the idea of putting the fiberfill in them!

Recently bought a light weight Brother machine that is easy to take. So any small piecing project. Avoid cutting, it needs close attention. I've also started inking with Inktense which is pretty easy to take. Also hand applique, binding, pockets.

I have nearly finished a reverse applique quilt. I did each block by hand. You could take top fabric and underneath piece and pattern. If they have a light box mark there cut and hand sew. Once start machining leave at home

Cathedral window... started it 6 yrs ago after I won a trip to the Daytona 500 and wanted something to keep me busy on the plane and in the airport.

I sew strips 3-4 inches long to make sashings for later. Also bring a piece or 2 to mend. That way is is fun not work. Hugs

WoW... There are so many options. I usually take something with me when I go to the doctor's office or have to wait somewhere..... I can't stand to just sit anywhere. I often take an applique block that I'm working on or a red work block that needs to be embroidered. My cathedral window quilt is too big at this point to take with me anywhere but the individual blocks to hand stitch closed or turn inside out works. Let us know what you decide to do.

Thank you so much for these links! Great inspiration! :-)

I like to take redwork along with me, whenever I have too much time to sit, I find time goes by better if I am busy working on something, not a lot of thinking involved, I can carry on a conversation. lol (And I call that mulit tasking.)

My portable project is a panel that I'm embellishing with all kinds of embroidery stitches. I take it with me to the quilt group but am usually too busy visiting to get anything done!

My favorite is Grandmothers Flower garden. I've been making a huge one for 10 years. I usually only work on it while traveling or at a group meeting. Easy to take with you.

Just don't do what I did one year and left a baggie of completed ones in the back of the airline seat. :(

I've been intrigued by Bonnie Hunters hexies in progress while sitting in airports and down time travel. Maybe that would be a good one for me. Those of you who do this do you like it?

I have a quilt as you go Grandma's Flower Garden. I make each hexagon into a mini sandwich and then stitch them all together.

I like to do my cutting when I go someplace. I try to prepare the night before by getting the pieces into manageable sizes and finish the squares or triangles on the go. I have a cutting mat that is about the size of typing paper. I can get a lot done. It feels good not to waste time.

Right now I am hand quilting and hand sewing a grandmother's flower garden which when finished will be finished. The hexagons are done by hand and hand quilted then sewn together by hand. I will post a pic whenever I finish. It may be months from now.

Please tell me more about how you do hexies/GFG as a QAYG?

I've just finished a tabletopper and am almost dreading continuing on to the handquilting ... so would have liked to have had it done, when I was done. Your technique has me intrigued for future GFG projects. Thanks!

Thanks for the link to the all people quilt site which had a yo-yo wreath idea. I think displaying this on a front door would surely say a quilter lived here.

Our group meets once a week. A lot of handquilting going on. Plus embroidery or crochet/knitting.

When my son was an infant he had to have surgery to repair a cleft pallet. The volunteer ladies gave him a doll made of yoyo's. He treasures it to this day and now he is in his 40's.

I quilt with a group of ladies at our local Senior Center. Since I am one of the youngest members I do a lot of the heavier work. I pieced a top that is half triangles. Since piecing is not my strong suit some of the corners are slightly off. It is obvious since each block is half offwhite and then a darker print on the other half. I made yoyos out of each of the darker fabrics that will be backed with a leaf like piece and sewn at each corner to hide the off sewn corners. I attend a little Bee ever other Wednesday and those yoyos gave me something to do for several sessions as I need at least 36 of them. My usual take along project is a quilted item made from cheaters cloth as my favorite art of the whole process is handquilting. I will try and post a picture of the finished quilt with the yoyo flowers when it is completed.

I take presorted hexagons--am working on a king-size to the floor (okay-shoot me now for starting this) and have taken Dear Jane blocks to Hanoi, Vietnam (still not finished, but a great take-along). Individual blocks separated in 6x7 inch envelopes work great. I like these envelopes because they are big enough to hold one or more blocks, so I can write notes on them and I can tell just what I'm doing. Sometimes I stack these into large plastic bags. I label the envelopes with name of block, size, etc. and Block 1, Block 2, etc. When the block is in process or finished, the envelope is large enough to hold everything. It's makes your take-along projects very portable and neat.
SandyQuilter

I forgot about yo yo dolls! http://sunshinescreations.vintagethr...yo-friend.html

there are some commercial patterns that make animals such as dogs, cats and monkeys too!

I take anything I'm going to applique Like Dresden for blocks. I'll be flying to Indiana and will probably take something at that time also. I usually take an embroidery hoop to make it easier for appliqueing. Just makes holding it easier and fits in a gallon size Ziploc so security doesn't tear everything apart. Even quilted potholders if you want to finish binding would be good portable projects, table runners, etc.

Clover also has flower makers. These could be added to bags or purses, jackets, etc. Also yo-yos can be for a pillow top.

I do reverse applique.Love the ease of it. Would like any info on patterns. There does not seem to be many.

Haven't read all posts but right now I'm working on hexies. It's really habit forming. I can only sit at the machine for a short period of time before my back starts to hurt so I switch between hexies & machine sewing. Before hexies I did a lot of hand embroidery. Love hand work.

I have an ongoing project that is beading. Lots and lots of beading, Its easy to carry and I can stop wherever I want without any problems. Mine is from Schibori dragon in Seattle Wa

partially put together cathedral quilt blocks, I can usually make about 4 or 5 in an hour.

Cut out 2 hexagons (front and back) of each flower part. Cut out a hexagon of batting. Put right sides of hexagon cloth pieces together, then the batting hexagon and pin. Mark a quarter inch line around the top hexagon and use this as your seam line. Hand stitch the seam leaving one side open for turning. Turn the flower part inside out and hand stitch the open side closed. Mark your hand quilting line on top and hand quilt the piece. When you have made one center hexagon and six hexagons to go around the center, hand stitch these together. Then make 12 hexagons to go around the six and hand stitch those to the six. You have your flower made. You then put the flowers together with hexagons made from a solid neutral color. I'm doing my flowers-middle is yellow, 6 hexagons a color with the 12 hexagons a coordinating color. I used prints in the six and twelve. I'm using muslin as my neutral to put the flowers together. Hope this is sufficient for you to understand what I'm doing.

Thanks ... and yes, I do understand you how to!

My current take along project is actually knitting. I am making an afghan one square at a time so it is easy to carry. When I have enough I will sew them all together (sort of like a quilt).

That yoyo wreath is beautiful! I might just have to take a whack at that.

Wish I had of thought of this before I started doing my hexies the English paper piecing way!

I really enjoyed my Dresden Plate, I basted them down and then hand sewed them when I could take them somewhere with me.

I love hand quilting and emb. so I usually bring one of those