a stitcher complying with cabin luggage regulations

On our recent trip overseas, one of the things that was a constant source of pleasure to us was that we were travelling with cabin luggage only. No big, heavy check in bags. It meant that we took less, had to carry/lug less, and had less stuff to keep track of. It was very liberating to travel light.

We took booster seats for the kids with us, and these also fitted into our luggage. We’re relishing the thought that next time we travel overseas (and it won’t be for quite some time) we won’t have the car seats, so our luggage can be even more compact.

We had to carefully think things through and plan, so as to comply with all the cabin luggage regulations, but it worked very well. The hardest thing for me was figuring out what to do about embroidery needles and a cutting implement.

I ended up taking a nail clipper for babies which was very tiny. It had no nail file (which airlines do not like!) and was only about 4cm long so didn’t really look like anything special. I taped two tapestry needles to it, so they’d all go through the xray together. I figured that if it was confiscated, I was ok with that, and would just purchase needles etc at my destination if I needed them. It was never ever questioned, though I went through airport Xrays at least 5 times.

In the end though, we were so busy sightseeing, and then at the end of the day, writing in our diaries, that I never even ended up stitching anything. Oh, apart from a few clothes alterations for my children’s clothing when they informed me that the waistbands were too big… Why didn’t they tell me *before* we left?