It’s cool being on the mailing lists for the “right” companies and Bullseye is one of those “right” companies. Glass info is always good. So in this newsletter they have a tip for what to do if you have some devit on the surface of your kiln fired glass. For those of you that don’t know about devit here’s a bit of devit info…devit is short for devitrification, which is the formation of crystals on the surface of your glass. It’s kind of icky. Not a desirable look. To solve it they suggest you re-fire your glass with a coating of clear powder on it. Do that and, ta da, no devit. Yes you do have to re-fire but there’s no devit and that’s a good thing. Check out some of their other tips on cleaning your glass and other helpful hints on their web site.
Have you read?
How to Travel with Cross Stitch
Cross stitch is not a craft I generally travel with (since I’m not that good at it, I prefer not to be moving while I’m doing it) but I’m sure there are lots of stitchers who would like to take their projects with them when they travel.
Koekoek has a post all about cross stitching on a plane, which is a great plan since it’s lots of uninterrupted time to work. As mentioned in the post, you should be able to bring embroidery needles (which tend not to be that sharp anyway) on an airplane with you.
Regulations in the United States say that scissors with blades up to 4 inches/10 cm are allowed in the cabin, but whether they are allowed by security as you pass through it is up to their discretion. And thread cutters that use a razor blade are not supposed to be allowed at any time.
Alternatives include bringing nail clippers to snip your threads, or pre-cutting thread and placing it on bobbins so you can stitch on the plane. Then pack scissors in your checked bag so you can cut any loose ends or extra long strands later.
Check out the post at Koekoek for more tips on traveling with cross stitch and suggestions for projects to pack when traveling. I’ve also written in the past about this post from Caterpillar Cross Stitch about traveling with cross stitch supplies and, importantly, what to do to make your screening as smooth as possible. And, importantly, what to do if the security agents question your supplies or want to confiscate anything you brought.
And that’s a great tip, too: if you are packing scissors in your carry on but you’re also checking a bag, pack extras there just in case.
Do you have any tips for traveling with cross stitch projects? I’d love to hear them. Also check out my post about planning a travel stitching kit.