I’ve always loved quilts but the only ones I owned were made by my friend Myrtle. She was a dear elderly lady that I adopted for my Grandma. She would come and stay with me and say “Hon, you need to make a quilt.” I would say “Mert, I don’t want to be a quilter.” I wasn’t interested in cutting all of those pieces by hand and doing all that hand quilting. In February 2000 I started a 6 week beginning quilt class as I wanted a log cabin quilt. Myrtle had passed away so decided that I could make 1 log cabin quilt and that was all I was going to make. In class I learned about rotary cutters and chain piecing to speed the process up. I quilted the queen size quilt with my home machine and was sure there had to be an easier way. I was at a quilt show and watched a demo on the first Handi Quilter frame. I purchased one and quilted several quilts on it but found I was limited on what I could do so was sending most of my big quilts out to be quilted. I then saw the HQ16 and in July 2005 I purchased my HQ16 and the Pro Frame. I decided to quilt a few quilts for other people to help pay for it. I quilted 301 quilts on my HQ16 for myself and others. I felt that I was out growing it so when I learned about the Fusion coming out I sold my HQ16 and ordered the Fusion sight unseen.. I had such good luck with my HQ16 that I just knew the Fusion would be a great machine. While I was waiting for my Fusion to come I had access to my sisters HQ16 that she had purchased after I recommended it. I was able to enter a quilt in the HMQS show in May that I had quilted on my HQ16 for the local quilt shop owner. It was the 3rd place winner in the Art/Pictorial Category. My Fusion arrived the week following HMQS. My Fusion‘s name is Clymena (after my Grammy) and we are bonding very nicely. I have made 115 quilts since my beginning class. I guess for someone that wasn’t going to be a quilter I’ve really caught the bug. I have a quilting business and still find time to make some of my own. I have had 2 of my quilts published in magazines.
I quilted about 65 quilts on the first frame, 301 quilts on my HQ16 and 27 so far on my Fusion. I am very pleased that Handi Quilter has been a big part in my quilting journey. I am loving my new Fusion and would recommend it to anyone . It is a great machine.

I own the following HQ machine: HQ Fusion