About the quilter
This is the HandiQuilter ProStitcher, the quilting computer that runs my quilt machine! I can still use the quilt machine by hand to do other work as well.
I took my first quilt class in 1997 when my friend wanted to learn to quilt, but she didn’t want to go to the class alone. It was a 12-block sampler quilt and I learned right away that I loved piecing and didn’t love hand applique! Over the next ten years, I made nearly 100 quilts. In 2007 my husband encouraged me to buy a longarm quilting machine to keep up with my new hobby. In 2011 I upgraded my quilt machine to a HandiQuilter Avante 18 and in 2016 I upgraded my HandiQuilter to include the ProStitcher computer. I now have instant access to any digital quilt design available on the internet and I spend less time bending over the quilt machine, which means I can happily quilt more hours every day!
My husband, Chris, was active-duty Air Force for 22 years and retired just before we moved to California in 2015. While he was in the Air Force, we had 15 different addresses and lived in seven different states. We plan to be in Lancaster, California for the foreseeable future. Now that we are settled, I’m excited for my longarm quilting business to grow. I worked for three years at Bolts in the Bathtub Quilt Store as my longarm business was getting started. So if I look familiar, we may have met while I was working at Bolts!
I have volunteered my quilting expertise with Quilts of Valor (nationally) and The Painted Turtle (locally). I also work with a local chapter of Prayers and Squares, completing quilts for those needing extra prayers. I started a quilting group at my church when we lived in Las Vegas, taught a quilting class at the local middle school in South Carolina, and have donated hundreds of hours of work and numerous finished quilts to charities in our different locations across the United States. I used to teach classes at Bolts in the Bathtub including Twister Ruler Quilts, Rag Rugs, T-shirt Quilts, Jelly Roll Rugs, and assisted with a monthly table runner class. As of August 2024, I have quilted over 2400 quilts on my HandiQuilter Avante 18. My goal is to help you get your quilts finished. Feel free to contact me with questions at any stage of the quilting process, from cutting to preparing your quilt for longarm machine quilting to binding.
My husband and I have four children and two grandsons. My oldest daughter, Rachel, and her husband live in Cedar City, UT, and are the parents of two adorable boys. Rachel is an academic advisor at Southern Utah University and helps college students figure out what they want to do with their lives. My son, Nathan, is active-duty Coast Guard and is currently living in Washington, DC. He is a Fire Protection Engineer and helps design fire safety systems for ships around the world. My middle daughter, Emily, is an LPN, and she also loves to quilt. She and her husband live in Pleasant Grove, UT. My youngest daughter, Heather, is attending Montana State University to complete her bachelor’s degree. She is working toward becoming a high school math teacher.
Chris and I are recent empty-nesters and have been spending our weekends traveling and using our jet ski. Since our kids are spread out across the United States, it gives us the chance to visit a lot of new locations! When we are not away from home, I love to read murder mysteries, bake cookies, take naps, and piece quilt tops…that finally get quilted when all my customer work is caught up. For the last 18 months, I have been taking classes in American Sign Language (ASL) at Antelope Valley College and just graduated with my Certificate in Deaf Studies. It has been fun and challenging to learn a new language. Thanks to all my customers for being extra patient during this time!
My favorite people in the world!
May 3, 2024