travel

How to Pack Embroidery for a Flight

As you can see, the excitement around here truly never ends. Wink.

We’re leaving on a jet plane soon—details to come, promise—and now that I have this new love of embroidery, I’ll be packing a project for the flight.

Thanks to a bad experience in Honolulu a few years ago,* I’m kind of terrified of TSA and going through airport security. It makes me really anxious, so I tend to overanalyze what I’m packing and how I’m packing it. And I only take a carry–on, so that adds to the issue about what’s allowed and what isn’t.

According to the TSA website, you can pack scissors that have a blade shorter than 4 inches.

But my pounding heart, dry mouth, shaking hands, and I are not taking any chances.

Check out my packing plan:

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  • pattern
  • instructions
  • embroidery hoop
  • pencil
  • needles in the adorable sleeve from Clementine Patterns
  • nail clippers so I don’t need scissors (take that, TSA!)
  • embroidery floss (keep reading)

How to pack embroidery floss:

Cut an index card or some cardstock into strips about 6 inches by 2 inches.

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Cut little triangles out of the edges.

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Label with the embroidery floss colors.

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Cut the floss into the lengths you’ll need. For me, that’s about 18 inches. Cut the appropriate amount per color based on your pattern, but add a little extra. I’m no geography expert, but there probably isn’t a Michaels at 30,000 feet.

Wrap the cut floss around the card under its label.

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Now you won’t have to do any cutting to get a new piece of floss. You’ll just need to cut as you finish a section of embroidery. Neat, right?

Find the right bag:

I’m using this bag from RuMe because it stays flat and has different pockets for the different items I’ll need.

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The back pocket is large enough for the pattern, even after I’ve started embroidering, but the whole bag is small enough to fit in my carry–on very easily.

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I have a love / hate relationship with packing, so you can expect more packing–related posts in the next couple of weeks. Lucky you. ; )

* I should add that the bad experience was through NO fault of my own. Extremely rude TSA worker in Honolulu who made me cry, if you’re reading this, I want you to know that I still clench my fist and curse your miserable existence pray for you daily. Okay, weekly.

Any oddly specific packing tips to share? I’m all ears!

4 thoughts on “How to Pack Embroidery for a Flight

  1. How fun! I hope you are going somewhere exciting and relaxing! I wish I could embroider, I started something almost a year ago, and it too like most crafty stuff I try is buried deep in a cabinet somewhere… Happy travelling!

    1. I know exactly what you mean! My sewing, knitting, scrapbooking, and wreath-making supplies are all sitting in a cabinet, taking up space. I’ve finally found a craft I enjoy doing enough to keep it around (and luckily it doesn’t require much storage).

      And thank you! We’re heading to Hong Kong and Japan in July–details to come! : )

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