Baskets for traveling

Here is the peak at what I was working on in spare moments on the airplane or sitting around at night. I used the adorable little basket pattern from When the Cold Wind Blows, but of course I had to change it. I created a pattern in which the handle was part of the basket. Why have two pieces if you could have one? Then, I used light baskets on dark background, and dark baskets on light backgrounds. I'll probably change the setting of them too. There are lots of options. The more traditional four square....

or this foursquare.....

or offset.....

or just random which is more like the original pattern.

 I also have thought of using a large applique block from the book as a center, with the baskets surrounding it. There are so many options. For now, I'm going to cut some more and leave it as my travel work. I always need something quick and easy to work on when I'm away from home. These little things barely took any time at all and a couple dozen fit in a gallon baggie for travel. I'm hoping it will be a stash buster, except that I had to go buy a lot of shirtings because my stash is mostly mediums and darks!

I did manage to visit two little quilt stores in PA. I drooled over the new fabrics, but due to the fact that I was living out of a carry on bag, and my husband's bag was already 50 pounds I only picked up about 11 yards in mostly fat quarters that I could stuff into all the nooks and crannies of my carry on. Hubby rolled his eyes at me everytime he had to stuff that suitcase into the overhead bins because it was a bit puffier than when we started out. I might add that I'm too short to get anything in those bins,or I would I have done it myself and skipped the eye rolls I got!  Then on the last leg back to Phoenix, after we were stuck in Atlanta because of Tropical Storm Ida, I also managed to stuff my lined rain coat in that bag!  He really had to shove and push then! Even the flight attendant (I almost called her a stewardess!) asked if  I had been shopping!