Down in the heart of North Salt Lake businesses, Handi Quilter manufactures and services long-arm quilting machines for the world. The offices are covered in quilts made by employees and quilting educators throughout the country. Many of the quilts are vintage quilt tops that never made it to the quilting bee and are finally brought to life by skilled quilters using long-arm machines to finish them. Rather than sitting in front of the machine, long-arm machines are meant to be operated from the side where “handlebars” with buttons allow the quilter to execute pre-set patterns or free-wheel their own designs. It is somewhat like playing a complex, creative video game. Each machine comes with frames that hold the quilt in place while the finishing stitches are placed. Machines and frames can be suited to the space available.

Kim Sandburg, the educational manager at Handi Quilters, just finished off a seminar in the South Davis Recreation Center where 200 retailers followed by 200 consumers came together to learn how to operate and create with the long-arm quilting machines. Sandburg has also taught classes in Germany, the Netherlands, and many states throughout the nation. These quilting retreats last two and a half days and usually have under 20 people. The company has two semis and two large vans that can bring six to 12 machines and frames to retailers to hold educational classes for those who purchase the machines. “Education comes with every machine purchase,” said Sandburg. “Learning the basics of threading and operating these complex machines is vital.” 

Although the majority of Handi Quilter’s 40 educators are female, the company does have three male instructors. Although most quilters are female, a growing number of male quilters do enjoy to intricacies of long-arm finishing. Although some of the components are manufactured abroad, the machines are assembled on the North Salt Lake floor. Each assembly has three stages and can be finished within a day. It is recommended that these machines be serviced every 1 million stitches, rather like checking the oil in a car. With care, these machines can last decades. The machines with needed frames start at just under $5,000 and go up to just under $30,000 for the high-end models that allow computer programming of design elements. A service will cost $200 to $300 to keep machines working in top form. Extensive quality control is performed on each machine to make sure it is functioning correctly before it goes out. Foam molds protect every machine, so even if the box is roughed up during delivery, the machine is protected. “We do tours for anyone who stops by, says Sandburg, our office hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and people are always in the office.” Locals come by to see the new quilts and people from all over the country stop by for the complementary tour. “We love what we do and want to share it with people,” said Sandburg. “The business is family friendly, and employees come from all over the valley. It’s amazing that this small manufacturing hub in North Salt Lake sends machines to over 300 retailers in the country and abroad.”