In The Beginning...

In September of 2003 I wanted to have one of my first quilts quilted professionally. I found out that it would cost around $75.00 to have it done. Being a person who likes to figure out how to do it myself instead of paying someone else to do it, I started looking around at the different longarm quilting systems. I was very impressed with the HQSixteen(it cost a lot more than the quilt, but when you're trying to 'save money' what are a couple of 0's???) I also liked the Gammill Classic Plus, but I wasn't going to be greedy. I went to my husband, and trying to show him what a great deal the HQSixteen was, compared it to the cost of the Gammill. My poor husband, thinking that both longarms sounded ridiculously out of our budget, uttered the words that I think he has regretted many times over, "well, if you're going to buy anything you might as well get what you really want." I KNOW he was being completely sarcastic, but I took him at his word. I figured out how to get a loan and bought my first longarm, a Gammill Classic Plus with a wonderful 12' table, hydraulics, lots of thread and patterns and for my $75.00 quilt. I have since bought two more longarms, these being the Statler Stitchers (which have revolutionized my life) and have kicked my poor sweet husband out of our 3-car garage so I could turn it into my quilting studio/shop! I won't even tell you how much more I've now spent on quilting, but suffice to say, I am a true quilting junky. I now quilt full-time from my home and enjoy every quilt I do. You might ask if I get all my own quilts done. The answer is "of course I don't" they are always the last to be done, but I try to get at least 5 or 6 quilts done each year. My family enjoys all the quilts that they have received since that fateful day my husband unwittingly opened the door to the biggest venture of my life.