Adam Rateliff

Adam Rateliff grew up in a family of fiber artists. His grandmother could create anything with a needle and embroidery floss; his mother is a very talented sewist, especially with garments and costumes. He remembers, at a young age, sitting and watching his mother create, and one day asked her to teach him how to sew. He retained those skills and built on them throughout his life and finds his joy and happiness helping quilters realize their quilting goals.

Adam began quilting in 2012. As a beginner he was in awe of longarm quilters, imagining what it would be like to have the freedom of finishing his quilting projects himself and the creativity it would inspire. After much thought and some good friends for support, he purchased a HQ Infinity® with Pro-Stitcher®, and has been quilting professionally ever since.

Adam enjoys teaching quilting classes at local shops, guilds, and in his home studio. His students are those who are usually found laughing the loudest while working on brand new skills. Adam excels at getting quilters outside of their comfort zone, teaching the best ways to use rulers, free motion, or blending Pro-Stitcher designs with free motion work. His relaxed fun style in and out of class, inspire others to have fun with their journey in quilting.

Adam is also a member of the Handi Quilter Inspiration Squad, and can be found making how-to videos on his YouTube channel at AdamSewFun. He also inspires others through multiple social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.

Micki Chappelear

Micki Chappelear resides in Hillsboro, Illinois, a rural farming community where she has lived her entire life.  She was introduced to her love of sewing through 4-H and doing alterations at a men’s clothing store at the young age of 16. Growing up in a family of five children, Micki shared the joy of creating crafts and sewing with her mother, who always made the family’s clothing.

Later in life, Micki found her passion for longarm quilting while at a Mothers’ Day outing with her sisters, taking their mother to a quilt show. While there, Micki’s sister spotted a Handi Quilter machine and said it looked like something she would like. Micki tried the machine and was hooked! After two months of dreaming about the machine and the possibilities of what she could create, and after doing her research as a consumer, she ordered the HQ Fusion® with Pro-Stitcher® and never looked back! Each day she quilts, she looks forward to turning on her machine and spending the day doing what she loves. Micki now also owns the HQ Sweet Sixteen® and all three models of the HQ Stitch machines.