Friday 17th January, 2025
... THE BEACH IS CALLING ...
Seems only a couple of days since I last sat down at my laptop for blogging – well, actually it is! Technology issues all sorted for the time being, and it’s back to the Bernina Big Book Of Feet Challenge again, and keeping it on track – 15 more to go after this one.
It’s Tuesday as I’m typing this up, and as I’m off to the Gold Coast for a couple of days, I need it all scheduled and ready to go before I leave tomorrow. The sand is calling my name … my toes are looking forward to a wriggle and a dip in the ocean, if the weather holds up. I’m so looking forward to spending time with Gemma, Jack and Bobby, who turns two at the end of this month. I have not had a chance to sew more on his ‘Backseat Baby Sitter’ I’m making, and that will have to wait until I get back. All the hardware is now ready to go.
My list of tasks in The Studio will also have to wait – I counted 56 separate lines on the pages – one per week I figured – a couple will need combining to get through it by the end of the year. Oh dear – sharing the list (with already a few changes) to keep me accountable …
... ‘Gathering’ at the Studio ...
This week, my Granddaughter Ambah (15) and her support worker Zoe, came up to spend some time with me, to give Ambah her first lesson in a while on a sewing machine. She has a little Bernette 33 of her own, but has not used it for quite some time now. Ambah enters Year 11 this year at school, and will be taking ‘Fashion Design’ as a subject. She loves the idea of Cosplay Costume making, and Zoe has been encouraging her to start learning about the machine before school begins in a couple of weeks. I set up the B435 for her, and Ambah sewed on some paper first to get confident with how the machine works, and how to control the flow of the ‘fabric’ under the foot and needle.
Threading up was next, and then moving onto fabric, with a few lines of stitching, including some fun decorative stitches and her name.
Zoe has not sewn before, and she enjoyed watching how everything works as well. Later on this week, once I get back from the Coast, they’ll both be joining me again, and making a pillowcase each. I’ll set up the B590 for Zoe to sew along at the same. Ambah and Zoe enjoyed choosing their fabrics from my stash, and looking at colour options for trimming with some cute ricrac. I’ll post some finished pics in next weeks blog.
I really enjoy teaching our ‘next generation’ of sewists … and it’s fabulous to be able to share all the fun stuff up here.
... Did You Know? ...
Bernina Recorded Webinars
I have been catching up with some sewing friends in the last few weeks who all asked me the same question when we were chatting about my Blog … “How did you get to know so much about your machines?” Well, remember I have been using, selling and educating customers on their machines for many decades – however, I am ALWAYS on the lookout for more up-to-date information or new ideas/techniques to pass onto other passionate machine owners. I am a ‘sponge’ for information – always have been!
Australia is such a huge place for travel, and of course, not every class etc is available closeby. You might have guessed that I really do love a good road trip (or the luxury of a plane flight!), but when I am at home, thankfully, due to the wonders of the Internet, a lot of information can be accessed and available online.
Each week I aim to guide you to find some new-to-you information to assist you along the ‘learning path’ that is needed to further your skill set with your machines. (Often including links to Bernina’s eBook, Blog articles etc).
This week I’m sharing a link to a Webinar (recorded back in 2021) from the Bernina site all about the Walking Foot #50 and the Bernina Dual Feed differences. Click on it and watch some great info – and there’s handouts as well with further links to more fabulous articles.
Of course, lots more recorded Webinars for you to access as well, under the ‘Learn and Create’ tab on the Website.
Now, just for a bit of fun … I absolutely love attending workshops/seminars and training sessions in person, and I really enjoy the bonus of the personal connection I make with others, ‘my people’, and I thought I’d share a photo from a Bernina Dealer function held in Brisbane a couple of years ago, when the L8 series of air-threading overlockers were introduced. Here’s Nathan Hammond (State Manager Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia), myself, Joy Harvey (State Manager Queensland & Northern Territory) and Kerrie Hay (National Product Educator) at the ‘Check-in Counter’ of ‘Bernina Airways’. (Bree Ledingham, who at the time was the New South Wales State Manager, was unable to fly up from Sydney so I was asked to step in to help out – said yes of course!!)
Being a Flight Attendant for ‘Bernina Airways’ was such a great ‘role’ – and having a theme, specialist projects/samples to make and targeted presentations I believe, made the whole learning process for the Dealers enjoyable – and we got to dress up with retro style hats, a beautiful rolled edge specially printed scarf and a fabulous new badge!
... One Sole is Never Enough ...
Walking Foot #50 with Three Interchangeable Soles
This foot is designed to assist feeding fabrics as they are stitched, that usually wouldn’t move easily under the presser foot. Some examples would be fabrics with a pile like velvet, corduroy and towelling, slippery fabrics like satin and silk, sticky fabrics like vinyl and other coated fabrics, and multi layers of fabrics, like in quilts. It is also great for matching stripes or plaids.
It comes with three interchangeable soles, a small screwdriver and two seam guides that attach to the back of the foot, and are held in place with a collar.
The bottom of the Walking Foot has a rubber gripper that moves up and down, keeping the feeding of the fabric layers even as it ‘pinches’ the fabric layers together onto the feed dog.
Maximum stitch width of 5.5mm and recommended maximum stitch length for reverse motion stitches is 3mm.
The special construction of the BERNINA Walking Foot allows it to be used at high sewing speeds.
I’ve added some great articles in the ‘Did You Know’ section that explains all of this in great detail.
Options available for the foot – It’s available in a one version suitable for all models, with the needle opening being 5.5mm wide. It is supplied with a Standard Sole (like Foot #1), an Open Sole (like Foot #20) and a Centre Guide Sole (like Foot #10)
Foot #50 had 7 different techniques to stitch out, with three techniques focused on quilting, and four techniques focused on seaming.
... This Week’s Foot Highlights or Challenges ...
‘Channel and Grid Quilting’ – this was an easy sample – I use this technique often – particularly like grid on the diagonal and matchstick quilting – the close together lines.
‘Stitch-in-the-Ditch’ – another often used technique, and the guide on the sole slides beautifully along the seam line, stitching on the ‘down side’ making it bury into the seam
‘Matching Patterns’ – I find I usually use dual feed in this instance, however if the fabric is a little bulky, I always revert to the walking foot. I’ve had one since my very first Bernina 1230.
‘Sewing Bulky Fabrics’ – this is where the walking foot really shines! My sample was some fleecy sweatshirting, and it didn’t stretch along the seam either.
‘Sewing Slippery Fabrics’ – Double Overlock Stitch #10 is a good option for this seam.
‘Sewing Faux Fur’ – although not faux fur, this bulky fluffy fabric, which Sally had made a jacket out of, performed well under the Walking Foot.
Only challenge I had this week was stopping making samples! I love my Walking Foot and enjoy the whole process of quilting straight lines, and creating patterns with them.
If you find your walking foot ‘squeeking’, it can be ‘serviced’ to eliminate the noise, and you can perform the task yourself! I posted on Instagram quite some time ago about it – just can’t find where it is at the moment. Screws come undone and you can lubricate it – clean out any fluff etc as well. Take pics as you go just so that it all goes back the same!
... A Little Something Extra ...
This little project is my go-to for a quickly sewn Minky Pram Quilt – in fact, I make a set of two each time I gift them.
The new baby’s name is embroidered first onto a single layer of dotty minky fabric, across one bottom corner. Clara is the sweet daughter of one of Gemma’s friends. The fabric is called Minky Dot Polar Fleece.
Then I spray baste the minky and quilters cotton layers together, quilting in a grid design with my Walking foot ** (see Footnote at end of this post) on the diagonal, using the space in between three lines of minky dots as a guide (love my variegated cotton thread)
Trim up quilted piece, and bind with the contrasting fabric, adding in a little label. Doesn’t Bobby look snug and warm in one of his? Cannot believe that was almost 2 years ago!
If you would like a PDF of my little idea with all the measurements and some extra notes , simply drop me a short email request using the form at the base of the blog’s Home page.
... A Little Reminder ...
Bernina’s Accessory of the Month January 2025 *
is Foot #29C for easy free-motion quilting, outline and stipple quilting and for the whole month of January is 20% off – contact your preferred Bernina Dealer for this fabulous offer. On the Bernina Australia Social Media pages, this week Kerrie showcased the foot with both straight stitching and zigzag stitching.
*Australia and New Zealand Promotion Only – ends 1st February 2025 …
Chat again Friday,
‘Foot’note: You might think that because there are only two layers of fabric in these little quilts, and no wadding in between, that the Dual Feed function on your machine would be ok to quilt these little Pram Quilts. I tried it several times, and always go back to my Walking Foot – does a fabulous job – no layer shifting, and NO TUCKS at the intersection of the quilted lines! Maybe it has something to do with the spray basting, or quite frankly, the Walking foot was designed to keep fluffy type fabrics like this from shifting and stretching!