2011 My HQ Story: Marlene & David Elgaaen
David and Marlen Elgaaen

Share with your friends


My mother and grandmother would put quilts on in the living room, and as a little girl, I enjoyed many hours under the quilts watching TV. The quilting stands were made from the steering wheel and steering column of Model T Fords. I knew these stands had a connection to the Elgaaen family, who were family friends. When David and I started to date in 1998, he told me about the origin of those quilting stands. David’s great-grandfather had made them for his grandmother. Our grandmothers were friends and quilting buddies. My Grandmother got those quilting stands, then my mother, and now I have them. I sometimes tease my husband that he married me just to get those quilting stands back in his family. (2 of those quilting stand are in our picture with our HQ24 Fusion). Quilting has been a part of my heritage. As a youth, we would tie quilts. After having children, I would tie quilts and also tried to quilt on my sewing machine. I found that to be a difficult task. Unknowingly my road to my “HQ24 Fusion” began with another of my brilliant ideas – to make each of our 28 grandchildren a quilt, being ready for when they leave their home, get married, ect. Currently they range in age from 16 years down to 2 month. They arrived so quickly in my life that I got behind making baby quilts. A few months ago, I started putting together 12 inch blocks with scrap material in preparation of these 28 quilts. It was so much fun to sew again. After visiting a sister-in-law this summer who has a machine quilt set up, we started researching quilting machines on the internet and visiting a few stores. At the store the HQ18 Avante was impressive and got our attention. We made our decision in just a couple days, and took the plunge purchasing an HQ24 Fusion. Waiting three weeks for the machine to be delivered was torture. My husband and I are now having lots of fun together. After 14 years of foster care and not having much of a life with my husband, we are now doing something together. My husband has been making more quilts than me, and it is difficult to get time on the machine. We go shopping for fabric together. David is retired and has lots of time to read and quilt, and I have a full time job. We are doing something together, being creative and having fun doing it. Thank you HQ!!

I own the following HQ machine: HQ24 Fusion

HQ Stories

Featured Stories