We haven't lost the power yet, just a couple of times to annoy all the electic clocks.. All my machines are electric, so I will have a problem. I have a flash light that recharges with a thing that you squeeze. The light is bright as heck.. I can see taping it on my goose neck lamp, and sew away if I had a person powered machine..

I have a head lamp similar to this http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/69364...er-xr-headlamp The batteries last a long time and you have your hands free to cook, sew etc and it points on the stairs leading the way where ever you go. My dad who is 90 wears one of these http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/63736...finder-led-cap to walk across to the driveway, it leaves his hands free to use a cane and carry the mail. My DD has DMIL's treadle, I have my cathedral windows project.

piney

Sounds like I need a new headlamp - the batteries in mine don't last all that long. They are great, though, for night bicycle rides. With one of these you can read street signs and drivers can see the light when you look at them. I probably wouldn't have thought to use it in a power outage, though.

Ladies, check out men's hobby resources. My husband does all sorts of vehicle/hunting/household work. He has a cap with LED lights on the brim," headband" LED lights (he got me one to read with during outages),etc. There are answers- guys aren't going darkness stop them!

Hand cranks are wonderful! I have a 201 hand crank that I love to use, even when the power isn't out. I just purchased a battery powered bendable LED light that I could use with it at night. I would just have to make sure I had some extra batteries charged up! The light attaches to the machine with magnets, so it can only be used with vintage machines. Works great!

One day last Spring I was sewing with one of the treadles and DH asked me if I knew the power was out due to the thunderstorm...I said so? I just moved over closer to the window and kept on piecing log cabin blocks.

How funny the way we all think. The first thing I did when I heard about the storm coming was to put the hand-crank back onto my Singer 66 (I had previously converted it to a motorized machine). Then I found my headlamp and my battery-powered Ott light (the little clip-on one). Of course, I did all of this FIRST - before I filled containers with water and gathered up my non-perishable foods...LOL. Priorities!

After all that, I actually never lost power at home. Parts of my state were really ravaged, just not where I am.

But still I prefer to hand sewing machine after a big facilitation...Because hand sewing machine is best for hand exercise...

No one has mentioned oil lamps with either kerosene or the lamp oil in the small bottles. That's what they used in the days before gas lighting or electricity. Set a reflective surface behind it to throw even more light. I have treadles and handcranks, and they can be moved if you absolutely have to sew into an area close to an end table, as I don't recommend placing an oil lamp directly on the machine itself.

Being out in the middle of the country several miles from the nearest town, this was one of my primary justifications for acquiring treadles. If storms or such knock power out we will be way low on the priority list for restoration so I want to be well prepared for long term power outages. Of course we have the standard provisions too, but my sanity can be saved, which is far more valuable than food and water :)