Tell Your HQ Story

I am an accidental quilter. I had sewn all my life, first from necessity when I could not afford the clothes in “tall girl shops,” and then later, even when I could afford them, I found I could make more of them and better than what I found in the stores. But I had never made a quilt. I didn’t know anyone who quilted. In fact, I had never even seen a quilt until I moved from New York City to northwestern Pennsylvania in my 20’s. That all changed when my trusty domestic sewing machine died and no longer had parts available for repairs. I bought a new machine with all the “bells and whistles,” and then had to take classes to learn how to use it. One of the classes I took was taught by an inspirational teacher (who now also owns an HQ Sixteen) who encouraged me to try quilting. It was love at first sight. To paraphrase a Texas expression, “I was not born to quilting, but I got here as fast as I could.” I have been quilting for nine years. As my skills progressed I was invited to teach quilting classes at the shop where I had learned to quilt. One day the shop owner showed me a new machine they were now carrying – it was the HQ Sixteen. It was a manageable size, glided effortlessly across the fabric, and looked like it could handle any size project. But I reasoned that it was meant for serious quilters, not for someone like me who quilted only for pleasure. I had no reason to buy such an awesome machine. So I just kept on admiring it. My admiration changed to necessity while I was working on a quilt top of elaborately appliquéd chickens, each composed of many, many pieces of fabric. It had been a huge undertaking and I was finally close to the end. I finished quilting it on my home sewing machine when, to my dismay, I discovered that I had pulled the backing fabric too tight making the chickens mound and bulge on the top! It took me hours and hours to take out all of that quilting and re-do it again. I had had enough; I had found my compelling reason to buy the HQ Sixteen! I brought my HQ Sixteen home and expected to dive right into my next project. But a surprising thing happened – I was afraid to get started, afraid to make a mistake, afraid I would not master the machine. I inspected it daily, moved it around, practiced on muslin, but could not begin a quilt. Christmas was approaching, there were gifts to be made, but I was still paralyzed for fear that my first HQ Sixteen quilt would not be perfect. I finally decided to take “the plunge” on a T-shirt quilt for my brother. If it was a disaster, it was only T-shirts. I finished the quilt in time. It was NOT a disaster, and it was NOT perfect, but my HQ Sixteen and I had become friends. The quilting process had been a pleasure not a chore. There were no aching shoulders from pushing the quilt through my domestic machine, and no more puckered backings or bulging tops. I gave the T-shirt quilt to my brother at Christmas and was overjoyed to see his eyes light up at the sight of it. His admiring gaze made me think, “He’s admiring my quilting!” until he softly and wistfully said “Oh, how I remember that T-shirt! It was from my first marathon.” The moral of the story here is that though we are all made happy by the same quilt, it is not for the same reason.

I own the following HQ machine: HQ Sixteen

Received my HQ Sixteen last week, the store owner I bought through came to set it up and the Cpod on the machine wasn't working correctly so he took it to his store with him fixed it and HQ shipped him the correct part right away. Got the machine back today and it is working great. I tested it out and love the free motion quilting. Thank you HQ

I own the following HQ machines:

I've been a sewer for over 40 years, but have only been quilting for the last 15.  Like all home quilters, I started off slowly by just stitching in the ditch.  Lots of practice and projects later, I figured out free-motion quilting.  While I enjoyed doing it, it was often a struggle fitting the bulk under the short arm on my sewing machine. I love moving the fabric myself to create the quilting design, so when considering a long arm machine, I was unhappy to have to learn how to quilt all over again, as your process would change to quilting in rows. So, when I learned that HandiQuilter made a sit down machine that would allow me to continue to quilt MY way, I was thrilled!! Christmas was coming up....so I started leaving my quilting magazines open to the HQ Sixteen Sit-Down ads all over the house... grinning evilly!!  :-)  And sure enough, Christmas morning after all the gifts were open and I was making breakfast, my two sons and hubby disappeared down into the basement (I thought to play a new video game) but much to my surprise, they caried up a new HQ Sixteen Sit-Down machine for me!!  The heck with breakfast, I thought- "Let's get this puppy goin'!!"  Woo hoo!!  I LOVE it!!  And if sometime down the road, I change my mind and want a real long arm type set-up, I can just buy the rails, table and handles and I'd have it!  Thank you, Handi Quilter, for thinking of me!!  Good job, YOU!!  :-)  

I own the following HQ machine: HQ Sixteen Sit-down

Hi, my name is CecilAnn Spencer. I grew up and still live in a small town, Kerens,in Central Texas that is 60 miles south of Dallas Texas. My love of quilting started at a very young age. My Grandmother hand pieced and hand quilted. Grandmother's sister was a seamstress and made clothes for the public. The scraps of fabric that were left over were given to my Grandmother. Grandmother would sit for hours cutting and hand piecing until she completed a quilt top. Then came the time to hand quilt. Grandmother's quilting frames hung from the ceiling in her dining room. She always used cotton batting, and "brown domestic" (muslin) as the backing. Our family were cotton farmers. Grandmother made beautiful quilts of many different colors that were given to her children and grandchildren. I was always amazed that something so beautiful started out as a piece of cloth that someone was going to throw away. The first quilts I made were machine pieced but hand quilted. It took forever to complete a quilt. I worked, was a wife, and mother of a very active son. This left little time for hobbies. After 31 years in a very stressful law enforcement career my husband retired to take care of our small farm with cows and llamas. I was still working in that same stressful law enforcement career but could see that retirement was not far away. I started looking for a long arm quilting machine. I did extensive research via internet, magazines, quilt shops and any other places where I could find information. I decided to purchase the HQ Sixteen and the Pro Stitcher. My husband and I made a trip to Plano Sewing Center in Plano, Texas. When we walked through the door we were greeted with smiles and such friendliness we felt as if they were family. The shop had just what I wanted and we purchased the machine that day. I still was limited on my time for hobbies, but it was amazing how fast I could get the quilt completed. I only make quilts for the "special people" in my life. My quilts are not the traditional type. If it is different I'm probably going to like it. My passion is creating living memory quilts that include photos, sports, school names or whatever the grandchildren, nieces and nephews are doing at the time. I have an embroidery machine and always embroidery their name on the quilt. I've also made themed baby quilts for family and friends with the new baby's name on them. I have finally retired after 30 years in law enforcement and am looking forward to getting training and lots of practice on my HQ Sixteen and learning to use my HQ Pro-Stitcher. I have done so much with this machine but still have so much more to learn. In closing I would like to recommend the Handi Quilter to anyone wanting to purchase a long arm machine. The machine is easy to use and the support you receive is the BEST!!!! You can not go wrong with Handi Quilter.

I own the following HQ machines: HQ Pro-Stitcher, HQ Sixteen

My HQ story? I don't have one." I told this to a friend reminded me of the quilt I made for her. It was just two pieces of material hand quilted together, but she still has it. That would have been over 25 years ago.  In 2003 I went to Virginia to help my step-mom Suzy take care of my Dad who was dying from a brain tumor. On Monday afternoons Hospice would send a sitter so we could take a break. Suzy took me to the local quilt shops and I haven't stopped quilting since. While I was in Virginia I pieced several tops, one of which was designed after the blanket on my Dads bed.
 
After my Dad passed away, Suzy showed me a quilt I had made for him years before. It was a simple 9 patch using two fabrics and hand quilted in a simple grid. Again I had forgotten all about it although the material looked familiar. She told me something I had never dreamed of. Dad cherished the quilt so much he took it everywhere with him. First in his work car, which required him to be on the road much of the time, next after he retired he put it in his station wagon, then his boat, than his RV and when he could no longer use the RV he moved it to the trunk of his last car-a yellow sports car.
 
After Dad passed away I went back down to Virginia for a quilt rally. I saw a mid-arm system and from the small inheritance I received, I bought it. For 6 years I used that system but my dream was for a long arm computerized system. I could tell I needed to do some research and see if I could upgrade! I was all over the internet.
 
In 2009 one rainy Saturday morning, out of the blue, I asked my husband to take me to the HQ dealer. I couldn't believe my eyes. They were selling their floor model HQ Sixteen that weekend. I bought it on the spot! A few months later I bought a used HQ Pro-Stitcher for the HQ Sixteen.
 
Over the next few months I stitched up a storm and the storm was me. I just couldn't seem to slow down enough for curves and points. I needed more control and Handi-Quilter again came to the rescue! You introduced the new dual speed regulated Avante with a new tracking system. I tried it and loved it. I knew this was what I needed to make my dreams come true, BUT my husband felt my quilting looked fine the way it was.
 
What is a quilter to do? I took him to the store to show him the improvements but he was not convinced. Then one evening as the Pro-Stitcher was stitching out a design it dawned on me. I called my husband upstairs and said "Look at the computer. See how the HQ Pro-Stitcher slows WAY down to go around corners? If a computer needs that kind of control, so do I!"
 
In August 2010 I received my new Avante, 12 foot studio frame and HQ Pro-Stitcher. I laughed as my husband brought his family and our neighbors up to see my new machine. Then these people would bring their families. Everyone was impressed.
 
I live in Amish country and there are many quilters around, but the long arm machine used by the ones I have met have all been HQ, mostly HQ Sixteen.
 
I did my one and only customer quilt back in 2010 within 3 weeks of getting my HQ18 Avante. She was happy with the results, and I still have her smiling picture holding her granddaughters quilt.
 
I knew  I had a lot to learn, so I took advantage of the teaching tools HQ provides. I wouldn't have the skills I do today if it hadn't been for Handi Quilter. One year later and I just finished a quilt for Pat. It was a "practice" quilt for me and she is so happy she said she wanted me to do all her quilting. I have 9 more "practice quilts" waiting and am hoping to be able to start customer work by October 2011. This would not have been possible without Handi Quilter!
 
Thank you Handi Quilter for all the hard work you have done for quilters like me who started out only knowing to sew two pieces of material together and given us the opportunity to be professional quilters.
 
You provided all the quality equipment and excellent training we needed to see our dreams become a reality! We can't thank you enough. 

I own the following HQ machines: HQ18 Avante, HQ Pro-Stitcher