I flew home to Massachusetts just prior to Memorial Day. For my flight back in February, I packed a stump work project for the plane. I thought that because the pieces were small, it would be easy to work on my tray table. Was I ever wrong! the pieces threatened to go everywhere, there were too many thread colors, and the light was too poor for that type of intricate work. I had given up by the time my beverage came.
This trip I resolved to do better. A few weeks before I left, I started a monotone sampler on 28-count linen. It was a straight forward pattern, so I decided to stop stitching and save the project for the plane. It was perfect. I worked about quarter of it during my flights. The fabric holes were big enough to see in dim light and it was contained enough that I didn't elbow my neighbors even though I was in the middle seat. Plus my sewing kit was much simpler. Here you can see it. I carried a tin with my floss, scissors and needles, and kept it, my hoop, pattern and fabric in a woven envelope my mother once gave me. Perfect!
Only one problem. I stitched so much of it, I got a little addicted. When I found out that my stitching shop in Massachusetts would be closing in a few months, I decided to stitch faster so that I could finish it and bring it to the shop for framing during this trip. It is a gift, so I can't show it all yet, but needless to say, it is at the framers along with another sampler I finished last month--one of my resolution projects.
Unfortunately, this means that I've been in Massachusetts for two weeks and haven't yet stitched on my WELCOME. That may be coming home with me so that I can finish it up before Hoops and Needles closes for good. Ellen, the shop proprietor, says that she may still keep framing on the side. She does the best work around, so I am encouraged, but want to finish the WELCOME as quickly as possible. Besides, my husband has a blank wall ready to hang it!
One additional comment about my travels. I sat between a man and a woman on my first flight, and as I often find when I stitch in public, the man was the more curious of the two. Men inevitably say something like, "no one does that type of hand work anymore" and it always takes me by surprise. In this case I was wondering who might have done the hand work that he was recalling, but as I was thinking up a suitable reply he said something that really threw me. After watching for about 30 minutes, he declared, "I guess I could take up something like that if I were faced with a long prison term and could really concentrate on it." Wow! Good to know he is prepared for anything! He looked like a nice man though, so I don't think he will be taking up stitching soon.
Posted with Blogsy
good to see you were able to stiotch on your flight. Re the man and prison, we have a charity here Fine Cell Work, I used to be a volunteer and I wwent into Styal Ladies prison once a month and they did the mpst beautiful work, at Styal they did cushions on canvas but other prisons did patchwork and one down south where they had a lot of drug smugglers did the most amazing tablecloths, both men and women took part and they were paid for the work they did. I hope it meant they did not re offend and it gave them time to think about what they had done, the charity still works with offenders.
ReplyDeleteI've heard of people learning to stitch in prison, and those who keep stitching and even sell their artwork when they get out. But I hadn't heard of prison being described as a stitching retreat before, which is how I envisioned this man's statement!
DeleteIm guessing he thinks he leads such a busy life style that prison would be the only place where he would have time to stitch.Other wise there is always white collar crimes.
ReplyDeleteIm amazed you could take your sewing things onto the plane,at all.We cann't here,even on most of our domestic flights for security reasons.So lucky you.
As long as the blades of your scissors are under 3" in length, they are allowed. Of course nail clippers with files on them are not. Knitting needles usually are. The rules make little sense!
DeleteI great thing for cutting thread on the plane is dental floss container it has a little cutter on it and that works perfect. I have used it with no problems.
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