With the weight restrictions now placed by airlines on luggage, it's a challenge to pack everything one needs for stitching classes and getaways. By the time I get all of my clothes, toiletries and stitching equipment packed, it easily exceeds the 50 lb. limit.
The heaviest item is the floor or table stand. In addition to their weight, they take up a lot of room. I find frame weights work well in a classroom, but a decent one weighs several pounds.
So, I tried to figure out what to use instead. I thought about buying a bag of rice, or beans, or foodstuff from a convenience store when I got to the class city. Then I came up with another inexpensive and completely disposable alternative: a bag of pebbles. I packed a couple of gallon size plastic freezer bags and a flannel bag similar to the ones on heating pads. When I got to the hotel, I went for a walk, picked up pebbles to fill the bag, sealed the bag, put it in another plastic bag and then in the flannel out bag. Presto! A very user friendly frame weight. When class was over, I dumped the pebbles and packed the bags in my suitcase.
