moving to Rural Alaska
 

Guess, rural Alaska can be an oxymoron, so let me add the qualifier, moving to 110 miles northwest of Bethel, Ak. No roads in, only boat and plane. I don't have enough blankets to take what is left at home, where husband is staying for the next two years.And he says i can't take the Poppy Quilt i bought in Texas or the Wedding Ring i bought here in Oregon. That means no quilts for me :( Guess i'll have to make some quickly. Oh, well, not a lot to do when it is still frozen and you don't own the outdoor play equipment, such as snow machine, snow shoes, skis etc. yet.
Which online stores have the best deals on batting sales and shipping charges? Also does anyone know how the wool battings do for hand quilting?
Some of what i need to go up in my household goods so if i have it already i don't have to pay shipping. Got enough fabric to make a couple of quilts but no batting.

Sorry I can't help with what you need, know nothing about Alaska. Just want to wish you luck on your venture. Maybe you can find a way to squeeze in a quilt, I think you will sure need it. You sure are braver than me, I won't go north of the mason-dixon line unless it is summer, hate cold and snow.

Fabric.com has free shipping if you spend over $35. Why can't you take your quilts with you when you move?

Just a thought, if you can't take the quilts because of space constraints, how about compressing them down into Space Bags? Husband and I use these all the time when we head out on a week's motorcycle trip and every square inch counts. As far as mail order goes, you'd be hard pressed to find a better company than Connecting Threads. They have a batting sale going on now and at least once more during the year. Best wishes to you.

Yes, I'm confused too. Why won't your husband let you take your quilts with you? What does he expect you to do with them? If Alaska isn't the perfect place for quilts, I don't know what is!

I can tell you that wool batting is a dream to machine quilt and I've heard handquilters love it, too.

Enjoy your adventure!

I just moved to the mountains of Colorado. I know it's not as rural as where you're going, but it's still over an hour to a fabric store-a huge change for me. Take as many supplies as you can! Buy a scissors sharpener and a rotary blade sharpener and as much thread as you can jam anywhere you can stash it! Hit some estate sales-a great place for thread!

How come he can just tell you that you can't take those quilts? Did he make them? If I made them, I'd take them. I don't hand quilt but I have a friend who does and loves wool batting. I use only wool batting in my quilts and sleep under only a quilt with wool batting.

Good luck on your new life. I just ordered wool batting from JoAnn's for 40% off. Dang! Wish you would have known about that. What are you going to be doing out in the Boondocks? I hope you get to take your sewing machine and a Kindle!

not sure where you are not,....oops, just saw that you're in Oregon..., but welcome to Alaska. I live in anchorage and can tell you that we have a very exciting quilting community in the state. Can't speak directly to where you'll be living, but lots of quilt guilds and groups in which to be involved. We're used to having folks in remote locations. Anchorage quilt shops can send out swatches of fabric in stock for folks to "shop" from....stores here are used to shipping to the "bush" which is what we call that part of Alaska that is not on the road system. Regular trips to Anchorage or one of the other cities is normal - so when you get to Anchorage, or kenai/Soldotna, check out our quilting communities. if nothing else - let me know what you need and I'll have it shipped from Anchorage...but I'll be that you'll find a quilter or two at your new location who can give you the ins and outs of Bush quilting.

guess you're not in Oregon after all - was looking at someone else's post. let me know if you have any questions about living in AK and I'll find someone who can give you an answer.

one more comment regarding Alaska - you'll find to your frustration that the vast majority of on-line shops will not do free shipping to Alaska - some don't ship here at all, but that is slowly changing as folks are beginning to realize that Alaska (and Hawaii) are actually part of the United States. We all have to learn that when we move here, but for the most part, we accept that as part of the cost of living here in the most beautiful state in the country...

I'm glad my Husband is firmly rooted in Missouri, the midwest. I love winter and summer if not too hot. I could not take the long nights Alaska has. I have a Granddaughter in law and two Great Granddaughters living in Fairbanks. I hear it is very pretty, but, I will have to take someone's word on that.
Enjoy your adventure.

Wool batting is fabulous for handquilting!
Use batting and fabric for packing material; great for filling in corners in boxes or laying on the bottoms or tops of boxes. Thread spools can be wrapped in small fabrics - folded fat quarters - and placed in drinking glasses before they are packed. There lots of ways to get your supplies to where you need to be without making extra weight, or boxes, or effort.

Best of luck to you on this Alaskan adventure; I admire you, but honestly can't say that I envy you!:eek:

Jan in VA

Try checking out www.missouriquiltco.com

$5 shipping for any order. Free shipping on orders over $100.00

Jenny has a ton o wonderful FREE tuturials on YouTube. I've made so many quilts from her tutes. They also sell fabric by the yard, accessories, charms, jelly rolls, honey buns, fat quarter bundles, etc.

We were in Alaska 2 years ago on a 2 week cruise. Did my research ahead of time and knew where the quilt shops were in almost every post. Bought something from every shop and hope to put together some awesome quilts soon. The night light Aurora fabrics are awesome. I loved all of the colors.

Definitely get MORE supplies to be shipped with your household stuff! Shipping once you get there will be outrageous! My DH is from AK and his whole family is up there--but not that far up! --his Dad, sis, and brother are in the Talkeetna area and sis is in the Palmer area.

Now I want to know "Does your husband know what you all are in for?" What small community are your going to be calling home for the next couple of years? All I can say is that the money better be worth it. Unless housing, fuel are included in payment it's going to cost you a small fortune. Take it from someone who lived in Alaska for over 54 years. I wouldn't have a comment if you were on a road system somewhere, but out in the boonies with only plane or boat (in the summer) all I can say is good luck.
And YES most online retailers think Alaska is another country.

I do envy you your new adventure - we have been twice to Alaska for summers and would like to try a winter there sometime. There are some of the most amazing quilt shops in Alaska - so there must be lots of quilters there and I found prices comparable to the lower 48. Enjoy your adventure and let us know how you make out!

I just got a king size batting from Connecting Threads in Warm and Natural for $24.99. JoAnnes has it for that some times too. Make sure you keep us up on your travels....what an adventure!!

This may be a silly question, but why on earth would you move to Alaska when you're husband is staying out - wherever - for 2 years?? And not let you take your quilts??

Wool batting is excellent for hand quilting.

Connecting Threads has Hobbs on sale thru this week. Spend 50 free shipping, not sure about Alaska though.

Oh! My DD had a contract job in Bethel for three months. She said it was like living in a third world country. The pumped water stained every piece of clothing she had. She used bottled water for cooking and hygiene and just wore the stained clothes. She said everyone had the same stained clothes so it didn't matter. I certainly wouldn't wash a quilt in it. Mildew started growing on the walls when the weather turned warmer and condensation started. She couldn't wait to get out of that place. I don't know why you are stuck going more primitive then Bethel but good luck.

Best of luck. We lived off the grid for 7 years in the foothills of the Rockies in Montana. It takes a very different mind-set to live that way. Your whole daily routine will be changed. Enjoy the experience.

How I envy you!!! My daughter and son-in-law lived in Alaska and we visited and did not want to come home. So beautiful! We had to fly in too. I remember Skagway having a great quilt shop and of course Juneau too. Don't know about ordering but I'm sure there are locals who can give you help. Please keep us informed on your adventure. Just a couple questions if you care to share...are you teaching or working with the national parks?

from the other comments, I would go to thrift shops and buy used blankets or quilts or bedspreads If everything is going to get stained from the water. I can see why your husband doesn't want you to take your nice things. Even used sleeping bags would provide cover and warmth.

I gave my LAQ wool batting (Hobbs Heirloom) and she liked it so much after quilting my quilt that she ordered a giant roll of it.
You're not just moving to Alaska, you are moving to the boonies... in Alaska. Each thing on it's own is quite an adventure, combined is... wow. I imagine anything shipped, even if it was free on the first leg of the journey, is going to cost to get it out by boat or plane to you.
One thing is for sure... take that cold very, very seriously. My brother lives in Fairbanks and is a police officer. The things he has told me.... brrrr! They do all sorts of things we've never even thought of to keep functioning in the freezing temperatures. The other day he wrote about how nice it was that things had warmed up finally to -20 below zero!
Wishing you a good and safe experience!

Let's try to be more positive. She has to go no matter what, and by now she knows what the conditions are.

I just checked Connecting Threads web site and they DO ship to Alaska. There is a chart that shows the shipping costs. I have to say, you have a lot of guts. I hate the cold in Kansas. I can't imagine living in Alaska. (I just can't get warm enough) I wish you well like all the others and hope you wil let us hear about your adventures. I understand you wanting to be with your hubby up there. Let us know all the daily details about living in Alaska, you know, like a daily diary. It will be an adventure for all of us too.

Don't forget to check out the quilt shops in Alaska.

Alaska is a beautiful place, and don't freak out about the water. Some water systems have minerals in them, but you'll probably be on a well, and there is some gloriously clear clean water up here. If you do have a problem with your water, ask the locals what they do. Those of us who live here LOVE it for the most part, and there is a very large quilting community statewide. I'll bet you'll find quilters in your area, and they'll take you under their wing. Stay positive, you can turn this into two of the best years of your life. Keep us posted!!

i am a psychotherapist and have the opportunity to take a job supervising the paraprofessionals that do the basic Chemical Dependency work, basic screening and assessments for other things.I will provide counseling for the communities around the Chemical Dependency, Trauma and Depression issues rampant up there. The Physician's Assistant in my clinic says that no one has been working with the kids and there are lots of trauma issues: accidental deaths, suicides, abuse etc. for these kids to manage.
For me, it is the chance to get all my graduate school loans paid off in two-three years so we can retire, a career move upwards to go from straight clinician to a supervisory role, which gives me a place to pass on to another generation my skills, an adventure ( if i gotta work in an agency, i'd prefer it to be an adventure), the pay is great, the benefits are great ( i'll actually get some retirement set aside), the housing is corporation owned and is nice and Heat is covered in the rent which is less in St. Mary's than it is in Bethel and actually gets less the longer you work for them, and the folks are great.
downside: the community is SMALL, less than 700 hundred, amenities are the post office, the AC store (grocery), the Yukon Trader ( not sure what they sell), a very small Catholic chapel, the Community hall and an airport 6 miles out of town., i'll be away from family though i have 4 1/2 weeks paid time off a year so trips home will happen. Husband is still working here and he works at a university and we have one more daughter working on her college degree to use his staff discount. He is very high level Asperger's and change happens SLOWLY so my going up and his visiting is the process for that to happen. He wants the quilts to stay because that is how he stays connected with me. I also am going to be leaving the icon of Mary and Christ that i brought home from Germany. " it is too big to pack". That response being typically Asperger's, after all i shipped it home from Germany. What he really meant was " you brought that back for us and i want to keep it since it reminds me of you"

i'm lucky, St. Mary's actually has their own water and sewage plant so no bought water that sits in a cistern until i use it. i'm excited. Haven't been working for past 4 months so limited on what i can spend to ship but i come down in May for a daughter's college graduation.
i am accustomed to self-sufficiency living, though not hunting. Canning, sewing, fishing, meat animals, canning garden; been there ,done that. I figure i'll just make REALLY good friends with the local hunters and get my game that way, though i'm willing to take up bird hunting, which is really good there from all reports. That and fishing, i've been told one of my first major purchases ought to be a boat. Hmm, i live on the Yukon river and Andreafsky confluence and am allergic to beef, pork and chicken. yeah, i'll fish and go for ducks, ptarmigan and rabbits.

I admire your spirit and determination. Good luck and be safe.

Wow, that DOES sound like an adventure! I have a quilting friend who lived in AK for 9 years, it was only supposed to be 18 months but she LOVED it. All 3 of her boys were born there. She and I chatted a bit about Alaskan life a while back. She doesn't watch those Alaskan tv shows all the time, but she did say when she catches one and hears the native Eskimos speaking - just the sound of their voices! - a feeling of happiness and peace comes over her. I thought that was one of the absolute sweetest, nicest things I'd ever heard anyone say about a region. She said she'd go back in a heartbeat, regardless of the cold or the long dark winter days.

Hopefully you won't be allergic to moose and caribou! And what a wonderful opportunity, to be able to serve and help a community that so desperately needs what you have to give. Another quilting friend of mine has a therapist daughter who moved to Alaska, she works with children born with fetal alcohol syndrome, another great need in that state. She loves it there too!

Oh! I do not envy you at all. I would love to see that state in the summer, but I don't think I could ever live there. I'm like ontheriver, I hjate the cold, lived for 9 years in the east, and I hated it, too mucvh snow and cold. I prefer my Tx. weather in the winter anytime. We have snow and cold, but it doesn't last too long where I live down here, and I've seen it snow a couple or three inches and be blistering cold, and the next day, the sun is out and warm enough for a windbraker only. Wishing you luck, I think I would definitely take plenty of quilting stuff with me, long days and nights, especially if you are snowed in, and can't get out much. I would absolutely go cabin stark crazy. Keep in touch and show us the quilts you make. Blessings for a safe venture.

I think your reasons are very sound for doing this and it's going to be a fantastic experience! I bet there's even a book in it for you. It will also be interesting to see what the local fabric and design heritage is and how you can learn from them and share your way of quilting with the folks who live there. I envy you!

I have heard that wool is the easiest to hand quilt though i have no practical knowledge....what an adventure that awaits you!!

Will you have good internet access while there?

We lived in Northway, AK for the first few months we were married back in 86 and that was a big enough shock for me (n the summer). Biggest shocks were the cost of things at the grocery store and the primitiveness of life up there. I quickly found myself without much to do so I ordered a set of embroidery floss (all the colors) and began counted cross stitching. I also scoured the woods for berries to make jam or other things tasty. My DH was working as a mechanic on a road construction job. When school started I substitute taught in the public school in Northway. It was so different. I had subbed in the lower 48--even special ed junior high kids (read...badly behaved) but I had never had such a tough group as those kids--they were unresponsive to correction by me. :(

However, it was so sweet--they were as cute as could be and some of the girls just wanted to to touch my silky blouse. I think it was polyester--a silky type and pantyhose seemed to be something new for them too. :) We left when my husband had an accident on the job at the end of September. It had already started getting cold. We moved south to the Big Lake/Mat valley/Anchorage area for the rest of that first year of our marriage.

I read your note to my DH...he said you might need another therapist to give you therapy by the end of your two years! :) Enjoy your adventure. My DH still wishes he were there many times. (But not as far out in the bush as you are going to be, quite honestly.)

If looking at the AK state fair quilts is any judge, there are a lot of quilters up there. I used to think it would be hard to be there during the winter, but I've learned to turn on lots of lights and stay busy and now I'm quite happy being in the house. Our winters here in Poland can be bad--dark at 3:30-4 pm and light at 7:30 am. It is much better now. I saw light out the window at 6:10 this morning and it isn't getting dark til after 5 pm, so things are getting better already.

Enjoy your two years there. It's definitely a different way of life than most of us have!

You can use quilts for packing things. Then, when you get there, unpack your dishes, etc, and you will have your quilts as well.

SO sorry that you can't take your quilts. I would take as much fabric as possible with me and do some quick rag quilts to get started.