quilting projects during an ice storm
 

Like lots of others that are dealing with weather mayhem, we are anticipating freezing rain starting tonight and going through tomorrow night. Since we live in the country, if we lose our power, we'll be out for several days(at least). So I am planning my "no power" quilting projects. I did spend all afternoon doing a total cleaning of my long arm since overdue. And if I have power I'll be using my new accuquilt Go Big! (DH gift to me for Christmas), but if no power, I'm going to clean the sewing room, pull out all the materials needed for Guild beginner classes I'm going to be teaching, and maybe do some playing around with an art quilt that I'm now considering doing some ink work on instead of applique.

I don't have any handwork projects in progress and not interested in starting one--any other ideas for no electricity times?

I have a hand crank and treadle ready to go just I case we loose power. It is very unlikely but like to be prepared.
hope your power stays on but just I case how about cutting pieces for you next project or your teaching plan.

I found a great antique sewing machine and ordered a hand-crank/spoke for it and took off the motor and put on the crank. It works beautifully especially when we have a power outage or when I just want to sew pieces for a quilt in a very quiet way. The hand crank and the hand spoke wheel were only about $49.00 from Sew-Classic.

I have hand embroidery ready to do when daytime power is lost. For night, it doesn't work for me because of the lack of adequate light. It makes for good family time with board games. I do have a treadle machine and love to get it out and sew when the daytime power is down. It is hard to plan for best use of quilting progress without power so it is a good time to catch up on keeping things in order or returning them to their proper places. It is an opportunity to catch up on things. We have alternative heating sources because the furnace needs electricity. And, we have alternative cooking sources also. During the winter I am careful to not run out of basic food items so we are 'snug as bugs in a rug'.

I have an old treadle I can use if our electric goes out. we are in the country too but have been lucky not to loose power for much time. If a person had some binding to put on, that would be great to snuggle up to a quilt that needs the finishing touch. I may make nylon crocheted scrubbies or look at some of my old quilt books. Like you we have alternative heating sources, but great idea to have something to work on.

The blizzard we had all day yesterday is over, but the streets are still filled with snow. We had electricity, so yesterday was a complete sewing day for me. The only thing I can do with no electricity is crochet edging around fleece for Linus blankets.

I know what it is like with no power in Kansas. Use to visit my great aunts and uncles on my many road trips to NYC. I have a hand project always nearby of hexes.

I have an unfinished needle-turned applique project and an unfinished hand quilting project. I'm not sure my eyes would let me work on either without good light.

I have a quilt on the frame that I am hand quilting. I will work on that if the power goes out. We are getting freezing rain and sleet right now. The wind is picking up and temps are dropping. We are expecting 9 to 12 inches of snow on top of the ice. It's a good day to stay home.

If we lose power, I'll be sitting here in the dark and freezing. I've already cancelled 2 dr. appts. for today. DD was supposed to take me, but her car has an inch of ice on it already, her husband doesn't want her driving. I had foot surgery last week and there's no way I am attempting to go anywhere by myself.

We have lived through many a power outage, usually because of hurricanes, and then even though I have a treadle and a hand crank, we are all distracted looking for ice, a place to charge our cell phones (we had a true land line which never went out, but that didn't do any good for news updates) and trying to keep cool. I am in awe of all of you who can concentrate in less than desirable conditions.

As Iowa may be in the bad weather area too I keep a couple hand sewing on binding projects nearby. Have enough to take me into 2 days work.

Right now its blowing snow and has been since 8 AM this morning. We had about an inch of ice on the walks and driveways yesterday though the main roads were okay to venture out onto. Haven't seen too many folks out and about this morning so think they're playing it safe and staying indoors.

Good luck to all those in the really bad areas.

Hope you are also all being super safe when out driving to and from the fabric store :)

I usually clean up, plan new projects and cut during outages. Ours don't usually last long except for the every 10 year hurricane that knocks it out for a few days. If it's out for more than a short while and I finished the above, I lay on the couch and read. What a luxury!

Well, we lucked out--the driving rain and gale force winds last night were ferocious, but the temps didn't really drop until things had slowed some--so a slick of ice with snow/sleet mix on top--and the temps are continuing to drop so the standing water/mud will be frozen by tomorrow morning. So glad--I'd prepped flashlights, got the camp cook stove ready, DH had wood in garage for fireplace--figured if we did all the prep stuff it would hex the storm! So I did play with the Accuquilt Go Big and love it! Also, put together a lap quilt that my Guild is going to help teach at a local high school and pulled out my Beginner class teaching stuff and have figured out what needs to be updated.

Thoughts and prayers to all that are dealing with flooding, blizzard or lots of ice. Stay safe!

If there was enough natural light I would go through my pattern books to see which pattern was do-able with my fabric for my next project.

When we've been without power for days due to hurricanes we have been too busy chopping up downed trees, etc. to worry about finding a sewing project. LOL Not enough light at night for me to see well enough for hand work.

Being a good Michigander, I also prepared for the ice storm. Brought in wood for the fire place, pulled frozen chicken out of to make chicken soup and made sure the candles were close at hand. We got the storm but never lost power in my area. I worked on making six extra squares for my guild's exchange block quilt. Needed 6 more to make a good layout. Plan on putting the last three blocks together tonight and then start turning the squares into a flimzie or is it flimsy? Border tomorrow and ready to layer at my next guild work day.

LOL, yep, that's what I do too. Or just go to bed to keep warm.

If any of you have the solar lights in your yard or around your walk way, you can bring them in at night for light. They work great for me. Just be sure to take them out in the day time to power back up. Just keep the snow & ice off them during the day. Also, glow sticks that kids use during Halloween work good too for keeping in the bathroom & kitchen so you don't have to carry other lights around. I always make sure & keep them on hand every winter. Keep a wood stove too for cooking & heat.

Well, we have had snow also in Utah but luckily we usually do not get ice storms. I have a hexie quilt for hand work to do. It's taking me years to finish.

I hope none of you loses power, but if you do, you can always use that time to cut up your scraps into usable squares and strips. And there's always KNITTING and CROCHET projects! Love how "low tech" those are.

I have a wonderful 1908 Singer 66 treadle machine that I can use when the power is out. It's placed between two windows so I will have adequate daylight to sew.

I too have a 66 head in a treadle and it is in my foyer, which has side lights for the door and a large floor to ceiling window, so I have used it several times when we have power outages, which happen quite too often in WV. The last one was 12 days and I completed several PP Mariner's Compass blocks. Nothing like having a treadle on hand for these times.