Take it with you and you must go to Hen Feathers on Rock Road. My son was stationed in Wichita and I discovered this wonderful quilt store...you will love it. They are great and if they are running one of their great sales, you will be thrilled. Take the machine....I would go into withdrawal if I didn't take mine.

We spend 3 months in Texas in our motorhome during the winter. I take my sewing machine and piece tops or make other smaller items. I do my quilting on my DSM but there is not enough room in the motorhome for me to be able to do any quilting, so I do that when we are at home. I guess you have to decide if you can be happy with piecing tops or other small projects or if you need to do the quilting while you are there. I have also discovered that I enjoy doing hand embroidery so I make sure I have some projects to work on while we are in TX.

Sweetie is exactly 13" across, so if I move the passenger seat forward an inch I think it will go on the floor. If that's too tight, I might leave one seat back up and sit it there with a seat belt around it. I removed the screen and packed it with cords in a box with a selection of threads. The table should lay flat across the back with suitcases on top of it. One of the things I love about the Prius is the hatchback. A friend is stopping by to help us carry out the heavy stuff. There should be help at the other end to unpack. Dealer told me the cold shouldn't hurt it, tho I plan to put towels around it for good measure. Thank you, QuiltingHaven. I like your advice. Have been to Hen Feathers on previous trips and I think it's pretty near where we are staying. Plus there are about 9 quilt shops in Wichita which makes it heaven for me.

If you are planning to join a guild when you are there, maybe it would be worthwhile to check into their charity quilting and workshops. It is possible that you will have plenty to do with them, as well as piecing on your machine. If this is the first time you are spending 4 months at this location, you might try it without the machine the first winter and then you will know how much time you have and decide about the mid-arm for the following winter.

Have fun!

I fit 6 large rolls of 80/20 batting in my Prius and still had room for me and my Mom. LOL If you have enough room, pack her up and take her along. if you end up not using her, then you will know for the next time around. Enjoy the shops, the guild and most of all your family.

Don't listen to non quilters, pack that Sweet 16! I'm a camper and I take all my quilting things with me each time we head out, I have learned to put the ironing board over the kitchen sink and I sew my little heart out all the time.

I would definitely take a DMS with supplies and lots of UFOs and projects that are on my "want to do someday". Your mid arm is a big investment and I would leave it home and do all the quilting when I return. This will save it from any travelling wear.

The other question to consider is your vacation " time". It will fly by very quickly and you may be busy doing projects for your daughter. I just spent 9 weeks visiting my DD and thought I would have time for lots of "my" sewing but have been helping her out with a multitude of projects that she had on her " please help" list. I had a great time and the time passed way too quickly!

This is what I am thinking also. If you are really in a pinch that little Janome does some awesome quilting and could handle some small projects.

If you have room (and it sounds like you do) ... why not take it? The very worst that can happen is you not used it... doubt that will happen. :thumbup:

That would be my choice too. I always have great expectations of what I am going to get done at retreats, and never accomplish half of it. Make as many tops as you can and quilt them when you get home. I would be afraid of damage along the way.