Bernina Bernette 334D Review
Why Having A Serger Is A Perfect Addition To Your Main Sewing Machine
I've received the Bernina Bernette 334d serger sewing machine as a gift a few weeks ago and was keen to run it through our tests.
The Bernette 334d overlocker wasn't brand new, but it was in great condition.
Incredible as it may seem, after sewing since I was in elementary school, I had never touched a serger before.
Believe me, it was quite an experience.
Set Up
The first step in setting up the Bernina Bernette 334D overclock machine is to raise the telescoping thread guide bar to its highest level. My first real challenge in setting up the 334D serger was learning how to thread my brand new toy.
After all, I am quite adept at threading sewing machines with only one needle and one bobbin. Occasionally, I even use a double needle, but FOUR different threads??? For some strange reason, this intimidated me.
Thankfully the 334D serger has a color coded chart stamped behind the looper cover door for people like me. It took a little while for me to figure out how to open the panel, but I attribute that to my unexplained temerity.
The instruction manual clearly tells the user to slide the looper cover opening knob to the right to open the drop down door. Once that hurdle was cleared, I settled my nerves and got down to business.
You can download the Bernina Bernette 334d serger / overlocker manual here (right click to save the PDF file to your computer.)
The first time I treaded the Bernette 334D, I was able to begin to understand how sergers work. The simple step by step instructions in the owner's manual, coupled with the color chart inside the looper cover make what appears to be an extremely complicated task as easy as possible. Anytime you work with four threads for the very first time, the process can't be overly simple, but the manual and chart were very helpful in demystifying the whole thing.
The Bernina Bernette 334D serger comes with extra needles, tweezers, a lint brush and a threading wire, which make it quite helpful when trying to get through the complicated threading process. Unfortunately, the threading wire was missing from this particular machine, but I substituted it with a conventional needle threader which did the job rather nicely.
The swing out presser foot makes threading the needles a lot less complicated than if it were stationary. By being able to move the presser foot out of the way, treading the needles went from being a challenging task to being a piece of cake.
Simply because I had never taken on a serger before and wanted to get a clear understanding of its workings before attempting to use my new toy, I chose to practice threading with four different colors of thread. Doing this was not only helpful in helping me learn how to thread the machine, it was also helpful for me to understand how the whole serging process takes place.
After threading the Bernina 334D several times, I decided to play with several different thicknesses of fabric and different types of threads in order to get the hang of adjusting the presser foot and tension on a serger.
The presser foot adjustment screw rests on top of the 334D serger. Turning the dial left or right increases or decreases the amount of pressure that is applied through the presser foot. This feature is ideal for working with extra thick or very fine fabrics.
I didn't think adjusting the tension on a serger would be much different from setting the tension on a sewing machine, but four tension dials meant making adjustments in the way I never looked at tension adjustment before.
One of the perks of starting with the Bernina Bernette 334D serger is that each tension knob has an illustration of the thread it controls and how that particular thread should look when the tension is set properly. In addition, the owner's manual devotes an entire section to teaching users how to set the tension dials for all sorts for fabrics and threads.
However, I'm one of those people who need to try everything for themselves in order to understand how things work on the very basic levels. For starters, I tried a knit fabric and cotton, serger thread.
Just for the sake of experimentation, I set all of the tension dials at 9, the highest setting. As expected, the needle threads broke. Quite honestly, I was a bit surprised the lower looper threads didn't break as well. After re-threading yet again, I was able to find the perfect tension adjustment with just a little bit of maneuvering and things went smoothly.
As I changed threads and fabrics, I realized that adjusting the tension on the Bernina Bernette 334D was actually quite easy - even without referring to the table in the owner's manual.
Sewing on the Bernina Bernette 334D
The next step was to actually sew something on the 334D overlocker. To my pleasant surprise, I was able to finish all of the seams in a simple knit dress and matching jacket in less than fifteen minutes.
I chose to do the finishing work on my conventional sewing machine and by hand, but if I had decided to finish my new ensemble on the 334D machine, I certainly could have. The owner's manual clearly shows the user how to hem on this machine. Optional components include a roll hem attachment that can be purchased separately from the manufacturer.
The easy to read seam guide is conveniently situated on the very front of the 334D, making it as simple as possible to get a perfect seam every single time.
The Bernina Bernette 334D also has an adjustable stitch length feature that is preset at 2.5 millimeters. If necessary, the stitch length can be changed to suit the requirements of your particular project from one millimeter to five millimeters.
The only thing that really didn't excite me was the mess from all of the fabric clippings falling onto the floor. I learned from reading the owner's manual that the Bernette 334D originally came with a waste receptacle bag, but that particular item didn't make it to my house.
I'm certainly not looking a gift horse in the mouth, but if you have white ceramic tile floors like I do, you must be prepared to sweep and mop your floor every single time you use the 334D. I really like this machine, so setting it aside and not using it is not an option.
Therefore, I think I'm going to come up with some sort of device to attach to my Bernette 334D to catch all of the clippings that fall off as I'm sewing. The only other option is to put a sheet or towel on the floor to catch the clippings while I'm working.
Maintenance
Taking care of the Bernina Bernette 334D is quite easy. According to the owner's manual, the 334D does not require a lot of lubrication because of the special material it is made of. It does, however, advise that two specific points in the lower looper mechanism be periodically treated with just two drops of oil for guaranteed long life of the serger.
Replacing the light bulb is as simple as turning off the power, unscrewing the light bulb from its housing and replacing it with a 15 watt bulb.
The owner's manual has detailed instructions for replacing the upper and lower knives, complete with schematic drawings. The knives, however, are made from
cemented carbide and do not need to be replaced under normal use. If a blade should be chipped, however, a replacement can be purchased from a local
Bernina dealer.
Accessories
According to the owner's manual, the accessories that were included with the original Bernina Bernette 334D included a waste receptacle as discussed above, a lower knife, and a vinyl cover with a pocket which contained two screwdrivers, an oil feeder, four spool retainers. When I received my gift, the spool retainers were in place.
However, the original vinyl cover, oil feeder, and screwdrivers were not included when this particular 334D was given to me. Not to fear. This small inconvenience is easily remedied. I plan to use this very serger to make my own waste receptacle and cover.
My cover will be much different however. Mine will be made of a colorfully durable quilted fabric that allows my personality to shine through and sport a fancy trim that is yet to be determined.
Unlike the plain vinyl cover that originally came with my Bernette 334D, my cover will also include an opening for the carrying handle - which, according to the drawing in the owner's manual, was not included as a feature of the original cover.
Since I already have an oil feeder and a complete set of sewing machine screw drivers, the pocket is not really necessary, but I might add one anyway. just in case I find a need for one sometime in the future.
Tying up the loose ends
The Bernina Bernette 334D is one of the best gifts I have ever received. Although my sewing buddies had advised me to purchase a serger many years ago, I resisted, believing that I could accomplish similar results with my zigzag sewing machine.
Unbeknownst to me, having a serger in my sewing room makes all the difference in the world. There are so many things I can do with my Bernina 334D overlock machine that I couldn't do at all; and the things that I could do with the sewing machine would have meant spending hours doing what can now be done in just a few minutes.
The fact that I don't have a waste bag is a small inconvenience. The vinyl cover was lost long before this 334D machine ever came into my possession. The cover that was included with my gift is quite literally falling apart.
Now that I am hooked on serging, I'm planning numerous serger projects that will keep me and my Bernina Bernette 334D busy for several weeks.
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