Friends, I feel we may be beyond apologizing for the length of time between blog posts so I'll get right to it. Always with the best intentions! I have a lot to catch you up on (which is what happens when we don't talk for seven months) But I've got a list of priorities for that list so before I tell you about all the projects I've been working on and all the updates, I want to share one of my more exciting recent developments - I've adopted a new sewing machine!
As part of my ongoing partnership with Bernina New Zealand (See this post!) I've added a Bernette 79 to my little family, and so far she's really doing well! I've only worked on a handful of projects with her, so as always I'll be reporting back on how we get along in the long term, but I have to say, so far I'm really impressed.
This machine is a combination Sewing and Embroidery machine, and I had a really bad experience with a combination machine about seven or eight years ago - it doesn't really matter what machine that was, just that it was constantly jamming, really fussy, and didn't do well sewing anything except for two completely flat pieces of quilting cotton together. I was, at the time, going through a denim phase (avid blog readers may question whether this phase ever truly ended) so we - perhaps unsurprisingly - did not get along. Also perhaps unsurprisingly, I was pretty nervous about this new machine when I was given the opportunity to try it out - I really wanted to put it through its paces (specifically with a variety of fabrics) before I committed to taking it home and sharing it with you.
Spoiler alert, she passed all her tests - but I'm going to tell you what I did regardless! I took swatches of a bunch of fabrics from my stash, as well as a list of every technique I could think of that had ever caused me (or anyone I knew) issues with a sewing machine - up to my local Bernina/Bernette dealership (Shoutout to All Things Bernina in Westgate!) and put this machine through her paces! Here is my list of things to test:
Fabrics:
Silk Velvet
Denim
Silk Chiffon
Lightweight jersey
Sweater-Knit Jersey
Shoemaking leather
Stretch Lace
Techniques:
Fold Over Elastic
Buttonhole through multiple layers
Beltloop
stretch stitch options for knits
straight stitch without tension adjustments
delicate fabric start/stop
sewing over lumpy seams
Topstitching thread
I took the machine through each fabric and technique - all up I think I was there for almost two hours - and I went from thoroughly uncertain that we'd be friends (the machine doesn't come with a printed owner's manual, though there is one online) to best mates by the end of the session.
Now - you know me. My main squeeze up until now has been a ~1983 Bernina 830 Record, who is and always will be the pride and joy of my sewing space. That machine is completely mechanical. Switching to a machine that has a touch screen was a bit of a learning curve, to say the least!
The first things I noticed (aside from the touch screen - hard to miss!) were the lack of a presser foot lever (It's a button on the front!), the wide space in the throat of the machine, and the semi-automatic threader. Honestly, I thought the lack of foot lever was going to cause me some issues, but by the end of my testing period I'd completely stopped reaching for it! It also helps that the foot lowers and raises automatically at the beginning and end of a seam (It lowers when you press the pedal to start, and raises after it completes a thread cut - also, automatic thread cutting!!)
The b79 uses the same computer interface as the Bernina range, and although I am now finding it pretty easy to navigate, I wouldn't be telling the truth if I told you it was smooth sailing from the start. The interface is symbol-based (there are hardly any words) so I felt a little bit like a fish out of water until I had a handle on what the symbols meant. I've read some reviews that call the interface counterintuitive, but after having used it for a few projects I definitely don't think that's true. That said, if you choose this machine, do set aside a quiet half an hour or so with the instruction manual on a big screen nearby (or print the introductory section pages) so that you can familiarize yourself with how it works! I have the manual downloaded in the books app on my phone, and I find this even more useful than a printed version because I can word-search the document to find what I need!
As I went through testing, my list of techniques to test created a great opportunity to go through all the different features this machine has - I noticed a huge difference between sewing velvet with and without the integrated walking foot, as well as really impressive results with the adjustable presser foot pressure (which automatically senses fabric thickness and adjusts accordingly, but can also be manually set). My 830 doesn't have a triple zig-zag stitch but this one does, so I enjoyed testing that out, and I also explored sewing different types of lingerie elastic to see how the machine reacted to uneven stitching surfaces and uneven starts.
When starting at the edge of a very bulky seam, the foot starts on an angle at the beginning and has a hard time moving forward, but there's a nifty feature the foot has that allows you to 'lock' the foot in a horizontal position - this essentially does the same thing as starting a seam with a hump-jumper. You hold the little black button to the left of the foot as it lowers, and the foot locks in place to allow the seam to start. That was fun to discover!
At the end of my day of testing, I was really impressed with the versatility of this machine, particularly in its ability to handle fabric extremes (from silk chiffon to multiple layers of denim) without issue, as well as the customizable functions like backstitching and thread cutting that can be programmed down to details like how many stitches you want to take before cutting. After such a good test experience, I agreed to add her to my little family.
I shared this in my intro post about the b48, but again - this machine is provided to me on a long-term loan in exchange for some posting about the projects I make with it. I'm not obligated to share anything other than projects, and I will always give you an honest opinion if you ask a question about my experience with either of these machines. One of my favorite things about blogging is sharing useful, helpful things with all of you so I try to remain just that - useful and helpful - wherever possible. Of course, please let me know if you have any questions along the way!
Next, I'm going to share the first "real" project I made with the b79 (did I mention it's also an embroidery machine?!) - I was going to combine the posts but it turns out I have a lot to say about embroidery too! Stay tuned for that, and let me know in the comments if you have any questions you'd like me to answer in that post!