As many of you probably have read, I will be flying to New Zealand to visit my DD and DSIL next month. I hate to fly and this involves about 20 hours of same. I want to take a hand project with me to keep my mind off the fact that I am 50,000 in the air in a metal tube (did I mention that I hate heights and am mildly claustrophobic?) lol

Anyhow, I have mylar templates for the grandmothers flower garden pieces, but would like to do something different. I have always been fascinated with the tumbling blocks pattern and I am sure there must be patterns out there to paper piece it. Any help would be appreciated. Also, do you know if there are mylar templates out there for it? or a place where I can download pages of the paper pieces and then cut them out.

Thanks in advance!

Check out airline restrictions. I was told I could not take scissors or needles or pins
Just a thought :D :D :D :D

I would listen to bebe....you are not allowed to take almost anything with you on board....
I am traveling with few magazines....you may want to study (while hight up in the clouds) some new patterns....or read some interesting reviews about new machines...
Whatever...have a nice trip... It is a long flight and you will be really tired after few hours....(They are showing movies too)
Have fun
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Bebe..You looking good (the dog too)... :lol:

Needles are allowed on planes as well as scissors that have a blade shorter that 4 inches.

My husband had a money clip taken away from him that had a small 1" blade in it for his fingernails. Maybe if you don't take any scissors with you that you "carry on". You may be able to pack it in luggage that is "checked" in.

To clip threads buy the round thread cutter disc and wear it as a necklace. Put your needles on a small piece of cloth in a ziploc bag in your purse. The fabric, paper pieces, and thimble can be in a separate tote. Pre cut your fabric so you won't need scissors on the plane. Call the airline you are using and ask exactly what will and will not be allowed. Domestic flights seem to have different rules.

I did a building block quilt but not paper-pieced. It would be a good hand project. Read somewhere that dental floss containers make good thread cutters. Just don't confuse the "thread"

I took my paper-piecing project with me on the plane to England this summer and had no problems with the sewing needles and pins going through security. Heathrow airport was very strict, too, we all had to take off our shoes and they were confiscating water bottles. For cutting thread, I had a box of dental floss in my toiletries bag - the little cutter on the dental floss box works great for thread - someone here gave me that tip!

You should double check the regulation son the website for the airline that you will be flying with, and/or the airport you will be flying from, but a small sewing kit is allowed under the current FAA security guidelines.

Jan

Good idea Bellaboo I had to be careful when I traveled to Penn.

Jan

Oh you were in the UK this summer - we could have met up - maybe next time OK :wink:

Tisha

I have a pair of baby nail clippers that I always carry with me. Those things stay sharp forever! And I do mean FOREVER! The ones I have are 19 yrs old! They stay in my carryon bag just for that purpose. I've had no problem with needles. I have a travel sewing kit and that has gone thru security with not a problem. It doesn't have scissors in it. I have had problems with my folding scissors. Many times have had them try to confiscate them, but have been able to get them out and run to my suitcase and get them in there. Now, they just stay home.

Wish I would have thought about the clippers. That's a great idea. About six months ago, my Mom was taken to the E.R. I drove in my own car and was going to do some hand sewing while I waited. The security guard checked my sewing bag and saw my tiny scissors that have less than 1/2 inch blades and said I couldn't take them in the waiting area. I had to take my bag back to the car and I sat, off and on, in that waiting room for 6 hours. :roll:

Wonderful idea and great suggestions.. how large of a tumbling blocks pattern are you wanting to make?
At the Quilt Expo in Knoxville, there was a lady who has a shop out of her house doing nothing but making the papers for English Paper piecing.. She gave me a sample and I will see if I can hunt it down and get some info for you off of it. If I don't find it my friend who was with me got one also, I'll check with her.

Found it!!! www.paperpieces.com and www.blankquilting.com These folks were awesome and have very nice quality product.. happy stitching! WOW.. I just went to this site to check it out myself.. the paperpieces one.. and they do have tumbling blocks papers, and TONS of patterns and ideas.... OMG..

To answer your original question, try this site for templates: http://www.ericas.com/quilting/paper...es_english.htm

(I'm assuming that you want to do English paper piecing?)

I'm glad you brought this up. I would also like to try EPP but am not excited about doing grandmother's flower garden. I hadn't thought about tumbling blocks.