msmariab5

Even though I don't go far to leave the cold to warmer weather, this year I decided I'm only taking my lil 221 sewing machine. I'm leaving all fabric and patterns. When I'm Prescott, I will buy fabric for whatever project my friends and I work on. I have another set of rulers and rotary cutters. We'll see how this works out this year!

midamerica

This will be our third year being snowbirds and we head to ND in the summer and live in WI or spend time with our grandsons in PA. I have duplicates of all of my supplies in ND. I am taking a machine and leaving it there this year. I have lots of projects so I have split them. I am actually getting things done in both places. It keeps me sane and I can't work on the house all of the time. lol

Pat G

Oh Kris, your msg. is so timely since I just arrived home (Wash. state) from Ariz. yest. (I'm 6 months ea. end). I look like The Beverly Hillbillies in both directions. Trunk packed & backseat full. I haul more sewing things than clothes. Just can't help myself. I'm afraid I'll need something that I left behind. I had to stop buying duplicates since I was getting so much stuff. All of this is in spite of really cutting back.
I left a wonderful stash in Ariz. since I sew with a few friends there. I don't plan any projects to carry back & forth except for my first Bargello which I need to find a LAQ to finish for me.
People think we Snowbirds are on constant vacation. NOT. It's really very difficult to button up ea. place then clean, clean, clean everything all over again. There are things I need to do to protect from the heat in Ariz. in the summer then here in Wash. to protect from the cold & rain of winter.
I'm still grateful for my life as a Snowbird though

Pam H

We just returned from Texas. I took enough quilt kits that I made from my stash to keep me busy for the whole winter. Plus kits for purses, tote bags and such. I have a sewing machine, cutting board, rulers, rotary cutter, and all the basics in both houses. But I do seem to just keep packing stuff into the car until it is full. lol I typically spend 3 days packing my sewing stuff and maybe an hour on my clothes. For our return trip this month we got a message about the death of a close friend and we were packed and had the house "summerized" and were on the road within 4 hours.
I only do piecing while in Texas. My nice machine for quilting is in WI.

QM

My snowbird friends all seem to do one of 2 things, either they take only little projects or they have entirely different projects in each place. Mainly, they seem to do the actual quilting entirely in one location.

My time

I am a snowbird and we winter in Phoenix, spring and fall in BC and summers in Newfoundland. I have a machine in each home as well as my basic quilting supplies. I use coupons to buy fabric and notions at Joann's & Sew & Vac in Phoenix, Fabricland in Canada. Kits work plus I like to support the LQS where ever I am. I try not to hoard. Before we became snowbirds we sold our big house and the hardest part of the move was dealing with my stash! I had too much stuff. Will never do that to myself again. Keeping it simple makes life so much easier.

Pat G

I envy you being rid of your big home. I'm kind of stuck since I lost my husb. 4 yrs. ago & the real estate mkt. went to pot so I can't really afford to take what the mkt. will handle right now. My fabric stash wouldn't be a prob. to deal with but my huge pattern glass collection of 20 yrs. is a burden. That mkt. fell out. too. I would feel so FREE without this property & just deal with a smaller place here & my little place south of Lk Havasu City, Az. I have such a cute 10x12 sq ft quilt shop there. I have 3 friends who love to come "shop" there or to see what I'm working on now. Got them all busy last season. I've only been home 3 days & all I do is clean when all I want to do is sew. LOL

Wanabee Quiltin

I am a Winter Texan, except we aren't going for the entire winter anymore. But I have decided, like you, that it takes too much space and is too much work to haul everything. We just got home last Thursday from a one month trip and I only took fabric for 3 purses. Took the smallest mat I had, plus small ironing board and iron. I have learned to pack a rotary cutter with extra blades, best scissors in 3 sizes, neutral color threads, needles, pin cushion, tape measure, marking pens, extra sewing machine needles and all the accessories for that machines. I bought a rolling machine carrier from Joann's, got a cute little bag and filled it with all my stuff listed above, it all fits inside the carrier. I have everything I need and because I usually bring a project that is either cut out or ready to be cut out, I can sew that while gone. I usually find some other project that the group in the campground is working on and I just have to do that too. Last year I made table runners and a cute purse that was taught to me. As well as work on my own project too. I just can't deal with tons of stuff anymore. Plus I always buy fabric while gone. Good luck with your plans.

gmacindy

I am a full time RVer, our home is a 5th wheel. All of my sewing quilting items go with me. I carry a serger, a vintage 1966 Husqvarna w a 9 inch throat and my new Kenmore. I have quite a supply of quilting tools as well as WIP. Along with quilting I sew doll clothes for my grand girls. We spend our winters in Texas. Our club house is equiped with a large cutting table, rulers and a large ironing board ,(I designed and made it to fit the ironing board). I think it just takes good packing skills!!!!! We also carry the waffle iron, slow cookers, blender and xmas cookie cutters!!! After all it is my home!!!

Luscious Marilyn

I too am a "Winter Texan" and love it. I purchased a new sewing machine with a JoAnn's coupon for one half the price, just to use in Texas, instead of toting my Bernina along. After the purchase I decided to ask my serviceman if we could store the sewing machine in a hot mobile home over summer? He said I could, but I would have to oil all moving parts,
my luck I would miss something for sure, so I haul that sewing machine back home too. As some of you know, it's nice to have a back up sewing machine. I buy my second quilting supplies and thread with JoAnn's coupon and keep them in Texas. So far, I'm lucky enough to estimnate, right on, what I can accomplish in Texas for the winter.