On The Road Again, by Gumbiecat

Title: On the road again
Post by: Gumbiecat on November 28, 2007, 05:26:10 PM
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As someone who's spent her share of time on long haul flights, I'm curious how others find travelling with patchwork in your carryon luggage. I always take lots of things to play with, and piecing or applique are ideal things to pass the time.

Thanks to heightened security restrictions, things like knitting needles and scissors are now no-no's. I've managed to get around the scissors thing by acquiring a nifty bronze-looking threadcutter which looks like a locket. I have it threaded with a fine ribbon and wear it round my neck when I'm using it.

It seems that different airlines have different standards (and possibly different countries). I was interested to see that some allow a small sewing kit, which might allow a couple of needles and some pins. I've not yet tested this policy, but plan to do so at Christmas this year (previously stuck everything in checked baggage).

What do you take with you? Any thoughts on portable patchwork tools for the plane, train or automobile? :santa_undecided:


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: BearFoot on November 28, 2007, 05:36:11 PM
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Where are you flying to and from...I know that in the States you can check www.TSA.gov for all the latest on the security issues. I think knitting needles are even allowed now, but not positive. Scissors less than 5" (I don't take a pair that big). I haven't actually worked on needlework on my flights, but I have the stuff to work on in my carry on luggage. So far no problems



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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: Gumbiecat on November 28, 2007, 05:45:51 PM
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Quote from: BearFoot on November 28, 2007, 05:36:11 PM
Where are you flying to and from


I'm going from London to London, actually! From London Heathrow, to London, Ontario. I usually take either British Airways or Air Canada from here and then Air Canada Toronto to London within Canada.

Some of the checking/restriction is down to the airport - Heathrow is particularly strict, and was one of the first in the world to adopt all the "no liquids" and other policies.


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: BearFoot on November 28, 2007, 05:51:33 PM
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Phoenix SkyHarbor Airport has a website that I can usually check to see what the restrictions are. You might check to see if the airports you are using have a website and also the airlines will have some things posted like that. Early on, I called my airline and asked (they are totally reliable for info, but if you can confirm it with the airport)...There must be something that is similar to our Transportation Safety Administration...and they must have a website to check. At least there the info should be reliable!
Have fun on your trip. I assume it is for pleasure and not for business! :santa_smiley:


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: Merry Bee on November 28, 2007, 06:04:18 PM
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For a while we were taking a little dental floss container with our quilting thread in it. Then we could snip off a length to use without flourishing dangerous embroidery scissors. :santa_azn:


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: Gumbiecat on November 28, 2007, 06:07:30 PM
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Quote from: BearFoot on November 28, 2007, 05:51:33 PM
Have fun on your trip. I assume it is for pleasure and not for business! :santa_smiley:


Thanks for the ideas!

I'm off to visit my family - I live here in the UK, but they're in Canada, where I was born and brought up. :santa_smiley:


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: BearFoot on November 28, 2007, 06:11:29 PM
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Well, hope you have a good trip! Lucky you to visit family now!
If you learn any good travel tips, be sure to let us know!


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: Merry Bee on November 28, 2007, 06:13:05 PM
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That sounds like a wonderful trip. I love Canada, and want to go to the UK, too. Have lived in Europe, 3 years in USAF. Cannot get enough travel.


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: quiltermarynel on November 28, 2007, 10:37:52 PM
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On a trip of that length, you'll go bananas with something to do!! I have only made one flying trip since I began quilting. I had an applique and an embroidery project with me. I pre-snipped the applique pieces. I had one of the little Clover pendants that is a thread cutter. I also took a pair of really cheap kindergarten scissors. Those were not allowed, although I understand they MAY be now. Better to check first. Back then, not one seemed to know in advance.


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: missmommy on November 29, 2007, 04:54:16 AM
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I haven't flown in over 16 years! Back then there were no restrictions and I always had my x stitch with me. If we relocate downsouth as my DH wants to I guess I'll have to get on a plane to visit DS so I'd be anxious to learn some of your "secrets" for smuggling you things onto the plane. lol
I had jury duty last year and they confiscated my very dangerous blunt tipped kid scissors! I used a nail clipper instead.


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: Merry Bee on November 29, 2007, 01:52:15 PM
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Oh, for pete's sake. How much harm can a person do with kindergartin scissors? :santa_huh:


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: TxMaryQuilts on November 29, 2007, 03:37:43 PM
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LOL YOu could threaten to cut off part of someone's bangs! :santa_undecided:

Although I think you could chew them off faster than using any of the kindergarten scissors I ever had.


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: Merry Bee on November 29, 2007, 05:31:13 PM
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Maryquilts, I can just picture you chewing off the security guard's bangs because he had your blunt tipped scissors. You could then hoop him, prick with a #5 between, fuse his mouth shut with wonder under, label him, and enter him in the Houston International Quilt Show as an Art Quilt.

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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: foxxigrani on December 01, 2007, 06:12:39 AM
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Merry bee that is too funny, I can just see that quilt in my mind. I am sure there are some you would love to do that too. lol

Rita S


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: quiltermarynel on December 01, 2007, 11:32:00 PM
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Merry Bee, I like your idea!!
Tx Mary Quilts, It is possible to have sharp scissors that are blunt, just unlikely in a kindergarten, where they end up being used for everything from sharpening crayons to cutting off braids.




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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: Merry Bee on December 02, 2007, 03:51:05 PM
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That was mean of me, just joking, folks, I never have been too inconvenienced by a security guard, except for that time we had to unwrap a gift-wrapped gift my nephew was taking home to his sister, my dear niece, when he visited me. It was a lava lamp of all things, and the guard was terrified of it. That was before 9-11. Finally they plugged it in and let it pass. I was afraid I would be stuck with the tacky thing. Believe me, that is scarey!

Then there was the time I had to take off my shoes in Colorado, and the snow melt all over the floor made everybody's feet soggy and cold, so we had to put our shoes back on with everybody else's toe germs on our toesies...Be sure to take extra socks when you go to a snowy place. :santa_tongue:


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: BearFoot on December 02, 2007, 05:56:05 PM
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Quote from: Merry Bee on December 02, 2007, 03:51:05 PM
Then there was the time I had to take off me shoes in Colorado, and the snow melt all over the floor made everybody's feet soggy and cold, so we had to put our shoes back on with everybody else's toe germs on our toesies...

Eeeewwwwww, yuk! :santa_grin:


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: gimpy cat on December 02, 2007, 07:35:01 PM
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yeah I had to remove boots one time and had a fellow male passenger laughing at my pink bed socks - well at least I had warm feet LOL. I got hasseled non stop by security when I flew from savannah to australia, being so ill I think they thought I was a drug mule or something. Made it home though I must say I dont know if we would have made it post 9/11, hard enough time in 98

Have a safe trip Gumbiecat and enjoy your family time. Oh and just thinking, I reckon the average pilot would be more afaid of a crazy person who cuts up perfectly good fabric and then stitches it all back together again and thinks they are sane in comparison to a pair of kindy scissors (which I did cut my hair off with as a child) LOL


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: Gumbiecat on December 03, 2007, 05:28:25 AM
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Quote from: gimpy cat on December 02, 2007, 07:35:01 PM
a pair of kindy scissors (which I did cut my hair off with as a child) LOL


Must be a common activity - I actually did my "hairdressing practice" on a neighbour's kid when I was about 7. She had bangs when I started and not-so-much after... LOL


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: medford on December 03, 2007, 07:26:57 AM
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Gumbiecat,
Apparently there are some differences between our TSA restrictions and those in the UK. British Airways website seems to have up-to-date information on this:

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/baggag/public/en_gb


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: Gumbiecat on December 03, 2007, 02:58:18 PM
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Thanks, Medford!

I don't see anything specific there, but what I learned on a previous trip is that I have to check all the legs of the flight - Air Canada has specific restrictions in and out of country.

I'll have another look at the BA site, though, because I quite often combine the two.




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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: quiltermarynel on December 03, 2007, 07:24:01 PM
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Having my ankle screwed together, I know I would always be asked to take my shoes off, but hadn't though about the snow problem. YUCK!!!


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: buickjim on December 04, 2007, 05:22:09 PM
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I flew two months after 9/11 and took a quilt to bind on the plane. I brought along a fingernail clipper to cut the thread with and the security guard in San Francisco caught it. It was in my baggie with all other my other supplies (thread, thimble, needles). He told me that the problem with a fingernail clipper isn't the clipper, but the swing out nail file. He asked me if he could break it off and then I could take it with me. That wasn't a problem. He broke it off and I was on my way.

When I boarded the plane in Wisconsin, security caught it again on the Xray. I quickly related what happened in SF, and they didn't even look at it.

Since then I found a pair of very sharp scissors with blunt ends. The blades are only about 1-1/4 inches long. Never had a problem with them either.

--Jim



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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: breezepines2002 on December 05, 2007, 06:47:01 AM
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another good tip if your flying and plan to sew on the plan take dental floss the cutter on the floss package will allow you to cut your threads,,and they will allow it onthe plane. bonnie


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: Merry Bee on December 18, 2007, 02:51:45 PM
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I found an old dental floss container that comes apart and I managed to wind it with my thread I wanted to applique with on the plane. I put that, a needle threader, some pre-pressed applique bits and pieces and a background block in a small zip sandwich bag, and it kept me busy during the flight.


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Title: Re: On the road again
Post by: Gumbiecat on January 03, 2008, 02:46:19 PM
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Just to let you know that I managed to get to Canada and back without incident. I tried the dental floss idea and it worked well.

I ended up just running two needles into the seam allowances of two of my blocks, then putting the blocks, thread, my marking pencil and a small Omnigrip square into a small ziplock bag.

The security folks were more interested in the bag of pennies I cleaned out of my purse while I was waiting for the plane than anything else. I'm not sure what they thought they were...they even swabbed the bag for explosives on the way back!

Thanks for all the ideas!

Roxanne