My story begins close to the time HandiQuilter was born. I had a couple of quilts quilted by a local long-arm quilter in the mid to late ‘90s and was intrigued. I knew I’d enjoy that “new quilting dance”. I loved sit-down quilting, but hated to wrestle more than a block or two under my machine. I would try any new-fangled scheme that came along in an attempt to win the quilt-wrestling match. I told my husband that what I wanted was some way to move my home sewing machine around on a track system.
Shortly thereafter, at the local quilt shop, I heard talk of a new product on the market, that would do just that. Immediately I began my all-consuming quest to find this new product and get one into my home. My original HandiQuilter was delivered in the summer of 2001, along with a new larger-throat straight stitch machine. I set it up myself and straight away quilted a baby quilt by following a quilting stencil as a pantograph pattern, sliding it along the table. Although the original HandiQuilter was a dream come true; my quilting soon outgrew it.
My very supportive, creative, engineer husband was enlisted as my go-to guy in my attempts to improve upon and enlarge my quilting system. Very supportive indeed for I telephoned him from a quilt retreat several states away almost exactly one year after the HQ16 was first released and said I think I need to order the HQ16 machine now. No questions asked he simply said, if that’s what you want, go ahead. My “quilting-dance” became so much more fun and free with all that extra space.
Before HQ16, I had become well acquainted with and somewhat adept at the use of a robotic quilter. I particularly enjoy combining the accuracy of the computer with my own free-hand quilting. There were frustrating moments of precarious struggle to move my precious HQ16 between carriage and robotic quilter. Supportive, creative, engineer husband fashioned a fabulous machine lift from a garden hoe, but that is a completely different story!
At Machine Quilters Exposition in 2008, I visited the HandiQuilter booth several times and decided that Pro-Stitcher would end the struggle and frustration and would accomplish all that I wanted from a robotic quilter. I made the leap and purchased Pro-Stitcher to add to my dearly beloved HQ16. Friendly support from the people at HandiQuilter has enhanced the experience and quilting has become a completely stress-free creative expression.
While I enjoy quilting for myself and will quilt for others upon occasion, I am lucky enough to be able to quilt as a hobby. I have found the greatest reward in volunteer work for the Quilts of Valor Foundation. To express heartfelt gratitude, through my handwork, to the men and women who give up so much to protect our freedom, is an honor.

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