Handi Quilter was created by a woman called Laurel Barus who was looking for an easy way to carry her quilting frame with her on trips. All her friends loved it when she showed it to them so she decided to go into production. That was a stroke of genius because it turned out to be a massive success when she took it to 2000’s International Quilt Festival which led to an influx of orders.
Since May 2001, Handi Quilter has gone on to create several models and can now be found in 700 retail outlets around the world. That means you can have one too or at least, most likely, know someone who has one. You might be new to the Handi Quilter and struggling to figure out how to use it. This article is designed to get you to grips with this great addition to the quilter’s arsenal.
How it’s put together
The Handi Quilter has three sets of rods which manage the quilt sandwich. These are made of aluminium and are telescopic so you can change their size based on how big you want your quilt. These are all held together by two big brackets which you can tighten and loosen to insert and hold in place your quilt, and then take it out again.
To use this thing, you have to lay it out on your own table. Don’t use it on a nice dining table or an unstable coffee table. That’s just asking for trouble. It’d be a good idea to get one of those collapsible banquet tables. Also consider the size of the quilt you’re quilting. If you buy a Handi Quilter in Portland or anywhere else in the US, your new device can do king-size quilts. Obviously you’ll need an 11-foot table to do that.
The dual-carriage assembly
This is the most striking bit about the Handi Quilter. This is where the quilter resides on two acrylic carriages stacked to allow the sewing machine to freely move around in all directions. The carriage underneath will send the machine left and right while the top rolls it up and down – away from you then back towards you. If you bought your Handi Quilter in Portland, it will have the same functionality.
However, the machine doesn’t just move in those limited directions. With clever geometry, that set up allows it to be pulled and pushed all around in all sorts of swirls and loops and jagged lines. This gives you complete freedom to create whatever design your heart can think of. This thing is as intuitive as using your sewing machine, powered by the same mechanism. You’ll end up moving the machine so fast that using it will feel like painting on a blank canvas.
Whitlocks have been in business since 1952 and provide a full range of vacuums and sewing machines. They are trusted Handi Quilter in Portland provider and you can reach them on: 888-224-9912.
