Air travel with a quilt project

[Jane C.]

More of a flying with scissors question - are they allowed in your carry-on? I have several small pairs, but was afraid to risk it, after a friend lost her grandmother's embroidery scissors to a TSA agent. What about needles? I would think if tiny embroidery scissors are not allowed, needles won't be either. Does anyone carry little projects on a plane anymore, or is that no long possible? I used to love to fly - not anymore.

[Lotti D.]

i travel with small foldable travel scissors - never had problems with those (good sharp but blunt end blades that can be slid into the handles)
i havn't seen mine on a website - i purchased them at a sewing shop somewhere but have no idea if in canada, the states, or switzerland - it's been a while
but i've flown internationaly, domestic in canada and domestic in the usa with these - never a problem
here a website where they have a few different types for sale http://www.anitalittlestitches.com/safescissors.html
here also the TSA probhibited items list - but don't believe the one about scissor blade under 4 inches - to be on hte save side it should be under 2 inches - and the tips should not be sharp - the security staff can decide according to their mood and the only thing you can use in defense is a smile - another option are small cheap children's scissors - that way if you loose them - get a new pair at the dollar store
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...ted-items.shtm
needles are no problem at all - especially small quilting needles - now i wouldn't attempt long heavy and super-sharp upholstery needles or similar
and for knitting - i use the wooden knitting needles - havn't had a problem with those either - but i wouldn't try flying with metal ones
good luck

[Rita C.]

Hi Jane, I have travelled in Europe in the last few months with a project to do on the plane without any problems. I put everything in a ziplock bag so that it can be taken out of my handbag if needed - but I don't take it out unless asked and I have not been asked to yet. I always carry a small nail scissors in the bag and this has gone through the x-ray machine without even being noticed. That scissors has been through about 8 x-ray machines now! I also bring a back up scissors and needles in my suitcase if I have one. I would never bring one of my good scissors on the plane just in case it was confiscated. This is what my scissors looks like:



Happy Sewing!

[Lotti D.]

this is the pair of scissors - and my trusty ziplock with my quilt-as-you-go supplies

whenever possible i have my fabulous fabuous roxanne thimble with me (hangs around my neck in it's own little cage so i don't loose it) -
if i can't have this one - there's always a trusty leather thimble in the pack
the little pink scissors are amazingly sharp - when travelling to the states - if the scissors were open in the scissor shape - they were looked at but found acceptable

when they were folded up, no one bothered to look at it (on the scanners they don't see any sharp points - as only a sort of metal oblong - with rounded edges)

i have found that when i travel to the united states the rules become much more strict - often items being a problem during transit when they were no problem on the previous flight - also depends very very very much on the mood of the officer doing the search
but as i said - these have been absolutely no problem

[Pam D.]

I have never had any problem carrying a fine needle in my handwork. I don't think it shows up in the xray machines. I use a Clover thread cutter pendant instead of scissors. Its a circular blade enclosed within a top and bottom with notches around the edge. You cut the thread in the notches but the blade is protected and safe.

http://www.clover-usa.com/product/0/..._(Antique_Gold)

Put a cord through the loop and it's a pendant.

I hope that helps.

[Pam D.]

My mom and I were traveling through Seattle and she had her small embroidery scissors taken. I suppose it depends on the day and the scrutiny of the security officer. I wouldn't take my favorite pair and would opt for cheap replaceable ones.

[Frances L.]

go to the TSA website here: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...d-items.shtm#4 and print out the page. As you can see, you can bring scissors with blades shorter than 4 inches. If they give you a hard time, you have proof that they are allowed. I have traveled with scissors and needles on several trips and have never had any problem. In fact, the last time I flew, I forgot that I had a big pair of scissors in with my medical stuff. They took them and measured them and said that the blades were just under 4 inches so they were ok.

[Hannelore N.]

My advice: Only travel with equipment that you don't mind if it's taken off you because you never know.... There just needs to be somebody with a headache, or who had a fight with their spouse in the morning, and .... vaboom.... you get things taken off you that are totally innocent.

Example: My late mother was flying back from the UK to Germany. I had checked her carry-on bag to make sure there was nothing 'dangerous' or on the list of 'no-nos' in it. But (my mother was a frail-lloking lady of 84 at the time) when she checked in, this 6''6' guy, built like a rugby player, rummaged through her bag (I could see everything from behind a glass screen), and then wanted to confiscate a standard plastic 3-inch little nail file. That guy obviously didn't know my mother. I recognized the look on her face, even from a distance. She was not going to give up something, even though it could be replaced for a few cents. After over 10 minutes, and with a long queue behind her, the big guy shrugged his shoulders and let her pass. She triumphantly waved the plastic nailfile at me.

When she phoned me from home, she was furious about the little incident. Why? They had served her a snack on the plane which came with metal knife and fork.

[Lotti D.]

also - regulations change on very short notice - i.e. they adapt them according to current events, political situations, special events going on that they consider high risk, etc. etc.
a few years ago i flew back from dusseldorf to zurich on the sunday morning after a plane crashed in zurich at 10 pm the night before - absolutely nothing went into our carry-on that morning - when passing through the security scanners i even had to take off the tiniest earrings and all other jewelry.
i just make sure that i really have all my liquids in the little regulation see-through zipper-pack, i now have a couple of swiss-army-knives stationed in my large (check-in) suitcase, same with the good nail scissors and tweezers and a good pair of small sewing scissors. the only "dangerous goods" in my carry-on is the on-the-go-quilt zip-lock - and this way i'm fine - and if they do take away the small scissors there - they can easily be replaced and i still have the good ones when i get to my destination.

[Judy B.]

Lotti -- I'm interested in your carry-along project. Are you stitching/quilting the project through
batting and backing as you go along? It looks beautiful!

[E.M. T.]

Lotti -- I'm interested in your carry-along project. Are you stitching/quilting the project through
batting and backing as you go along? It looks beautiful!

Enquiring minds want to know ! ? :wink:

[E.M. T.]

Inquiring minds want to know, Lotti ! :wink: :wink:

[Lotti D.]

for those enquiring minds out there :wink:
yes - that's what i'm doing. i add a couple of strips, right side together on top of the batting, backing on the back (where else:P), fingerpress the strips open, add the next strip to the latest one, etc. etc.
i make my squares about 1/2 inch larger than what i need for the project, that way i can square them all up to the same size before sewing these together.
the most tedious bit was figuring out how to sew them together (where a 1/4 inch needed to be open - in some cases unsewn :roll: how much extra batting i need - when and how to cut "leftovers" away, etc.), because i did not want to have to add sashing between the squares - am not at all a sashing girl (yet?)

here are a few snaps of my sensational strippers quilt (still not bound as i can't make up my mind if i want a border or not - and also am still thinking of moving 4 or was it 8? squares...) :P




at the moment i'm trying out the pineapple ruler with my quilt-as-i-go method - will be making a blog about how as soon as i figure if and how it is most easily done - will be in the mountains from saturday till mid next week - so hope to get enough time to figure it out on the train ride - you can therefore expect something by end next week - i hope

[Pam D.]

Lotti, that's beautiful!!!

[Rita C.]

Lotti, the quilt looks fabulous whatever you decide to do in the end. Can't wait to see what you come up with for the pineapples. Have a good time in the mountains. Is there snow? Are you going ski-ing? Rita (enquiring mind or just nosey - take your pick :lol: )