In May of 2003, a tornado damaged our apartment building and forced us to find another place to live. The very next day, I received word that I had inherited a small amount of money. Looking back, I can see that it was ultimately the combination of those two events that allowed me to have my HQ16!

Like so many others, I started by doing my machine quilting on my DSM. While I loved the creative aspect of it, the mechanics were way too difficult and limited. I rented time on a longarm to quilt two queen-size quilts using pantographs and was completely hooked! Sadly, that shop closed when the owner retired but my best friend, a longarm quilter, came to my rescue. On her advice, I attended the Sewing Expo in Overland Park and test-drove the HQ16. She just knew the HQ16 would be exactly what I needed and she was right! It was love at first sight! I desperately tried to reach my then-boyfriend and inform him that I was going to order the HQ16, even though I had no clue where I would put it. We had moved to a small two-bedroom duplex after the tornado, and the second bedroom was already taken over as my sewing room. I finally told him I’d put it up in the living room if need be (he said no! it didn’t belong in the living room!). Fortunately, we had a short lease there and the need for space for the HQ16 prompted us to find a three-bedroom apartment. Good thing my now-husband is understanding and supportive because even today, in our three bedroom house, we only have one real “bedroom,” the other two are my Sewing Room and my Quilting Room!

Since receiving my HQ16 in January 2004, I have slowly upgraded a bit and added the stitch regulator, micro-handles and the new and wonderful Studio Frame. One of the best things about owning an HQ16 has been the chance to get to know Mark Hyland, Vicki, Harriet, and all the great people at HandiQuilter. They consistently offer the best customer service in the business and I am proud to call them my friends. Not to mention, I love their products and am truly grateful for their constant efforts to provide us with quality products.

I quilt primarily for myself but also like to do as much as possible for Quilts of Valor. I still enjoy pantographs but my dream is to someday be able to do the luscious custom quilting I see at MQS. For now, my fulltime job keeps me from having enough practice time but I know my beautiful HQ16 will be patiently waiting for me.

I own the following HQ machine: HQ Sixteen