Handi Quilter

Handi Quilter is a longarm quilting machine brand founded by Laurel Barrus. According to the company's About page, Barrus created the original "Handi Quilter" portable, adjustable quilting frame for use with a home sewing machine, and took a prototype to the International Quilt Festival in Houston in October 1999. In 2002 she invested in a new line of products, the "HQ Sixteen" quilting machine and adjustable frames. The company's homepage states that Handi Quilter longarms are sold at over 400 quilt stores and shops in North America, and lists longarm machines including the HQ Moxie (15"), Amara (20"), and Infinity Line (28"), along with free-motion rulers, accessories, and the Pro-Stitcher automation system.

According to the company's About page, Laurel Barrus, founder of Handi Quilter, had a life-long interest in sewing and conceived the "Handi Quilter" portable frame while seeking a way to take a portable machine quilting frame to her family cabin. Unable to find a suitable product, she created a frame usable with her own home sewing machine that was light and small enough to carry in her car yet adjustable for small or large quilts. After friends expressed interest, she named it the "Handi Quilter", worked with suppliers, produced a prototype, and took it to the International Quilt Festival in Houston in October 1999. On the first day of the festival, she called her fabricators and told them she had received enough orders to keep them busy until Christmas. In 2002, recognizing the potential of the home machine quilting market, she invested in the design and production of an entirely new line of products—the "HQ Sixteen" quilting machine and adjustable frames to support it—hired electronic and mechanical engineers and support staff, established manufacturing infrastructure, and created a new distribution network. In 2010, Handi Quilter became the only longarm quilting machine company to achieve worldwide safety and electrical certificates for its quilting machines and systems, enabling HQ to expand to more than 900 worldwide (snippet truncated).

• HQ Moxie (15")

  A 15-inch longarm with free-motion freedom, easy controls, practical features, and optional accessories.

• Amara (20")

  A 20-inch throat longarm with HQ Studio3 Frame (10' or 12') and essentials for free-motion quilting.

• Infinity Line (28")

  A 28-inch longarm built for serious quilters with smart sensors, easy tension, and low maintenance.

• Pro-Stitcher

  An automation system that helps quilt more, faster, and with confidence, from detailed custom work to edge-to-edge designs.

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