Ideas for hand sewing.

[Thecostumelady]

Just popped over from the Costume Department to ask you kind people over here for a bit of inspiration.
I was a quilter for many years and really loved it until two things happened, we moved house to help with school runs etc. and my small costumes business found its feet. So, the patchwork and quilting got pushed to one side.  Anyway, after deciding I need more 'me' time I have found a local quilt club and love it!  Now comes the problem...On the quilt club days 'he' has the car for bowling matches (No.1 priority!) and although he drops me off on the way I need to get the bus home.  So..can't take my sewing machine.  I love hand sewing so am happy to do some appliqué or quilting but am struggling to think of something to make. Most things need quite a lot of preparation before you get to the actual hand sewing bit and I am desperately short of time as most of my waking hours are spent making costumes. So not much time for actually preparing stuff for my precious couple of hours out of the house with my new quilting friends.  It sounds really pathetic but  anybody help me out here?  Ann x

[Acorn]

Have you tried English Paper Piecing?  All done by hand, and nothing but the cutting out to do before you can get on with it.

[twopence]

I'm currently making a quilt with redwork panels so am handsewing those at my quilt group.  They will be inset into panels of 2inch squares and strips which can also be cut at the group.

[Lowena]

Yes, it certainly sounds as if EPP  is the way forward. You could make a pin cushion from hexagons to see if you like doing it

[wrenkins]

Do you have a bag for your machine? If so you could get a little fold away lightweight luggage trolley for the journey home. 

[Acorn]

There's also the book Patchwork Loves Embroidery and its sequel, which might give you some ideas if you fancy embroidering something.

(I don't have either of these books, but they have been on my Amazon wishlist for ever!)

[Ploshkin]

Manx quilting is easy, hand sewn and needs next to no tools.  It travels well with just fabric strips, needle and thread, a small pair of scissors,and 4 pins in a very small bag.
Apologies, I'm on my possessed kindle and can't do links but if you like log cabin give it a go.

[jintie]

I  hand sewed small sashiko designs in the middle of plain cloth table mats (that I had already serged around).

[BrendaP]

Almost any form of hand embroidery or needle lace can take up minimal space although larger pieces, especially counted thread work, are often worked in a frame which can be bulky.

Sashiko (Japanese) and Kantha (Indian) are both originally forms of hand embroidery/quilting developed to make use of several layers of work fabrics to make one good piece.

Traditional hand worked Trapunto or Italian quilting (and the similar French Boutis) doesn't need much equipment or space, but it is quite time consuming.
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This is my one and only piece of trapunto, in the centre of a cushion cover.

[Lowena]

I love doing both Sashiko and especially Kantha. I'm getting to be not too bad at them 

[Celia]

@Ploshkin  thank you for the information on Manx quilting, I am inspired and have to try this I have never heard of it before.  This is the tuition site I found if you have any others I would love to see it. https://www.diaryofaquilter.com/2019/02/how-to-piece-a-manx-quilt-block.html

I am doing some English paper piecing with liberty print fabrics at the moment.

[Manuela]

I  hand sewed small sashiko designs in the middle of plain cloth table mats (that I had already serged around).

@jintie, I remember a certain person who has a Sashiko machine 

[Ploshkin]

@Celia I discovered Manx quilting at the Cregneash Folk Museum on the Isle of Man many years ago.  There was a lady sitting doing it in one of the cottages and it was a very wet late afternoon and there was no one else there so I pulled up a chair and she showed me how to do it.  The only thing I have is a leaflet with brief instructions.  If I can find it I'll scan it for you.
What I like about it is that it doesn't matter if the stitches are big or wobbly as they can't be seen, nothing pulls on them and the fold line of the fabric is not along the stitch line.  (Mine are always small and neat of course  )  I've found it east to keep the blocks square by eye.  Its most suited to fabric scraps as it is,quite fabric hungry.
I've just looked at that tutorial.  I don't do the folds in the foundation fabric apart from the 2 diagnosis to set the centre square in place.  After I have stitched each strip I fold over 2/3 of the fabric - that is easy to do by eye.

[jintie]

Manuela, it is glaring at me as I write..

[Celia]

Manuela, it is glaring at me as I write..

@jintie
Do I assume you prefer to hand stitch Sashiko or is it because the pieces you were doing were small, I have an opportunity to buy one of these machines but am not sure if I would use it?

I have a felting machine that I would love to like but really find it very difficult to find a use for it and am worried I might do the same thing again.