Berninas: old 830, 1260, 440, 200/730 - soon to have a new Bernina 830

by Nana Sew Sew
(Texas)

LOVE BERNINAS!! As you can see I have and have had several Berninas. I started out with the Bernina 830 in 1980 -my first big purchase out of nursing school! I still have this machine and it purrs.

I love it because it is mechanical, all metal and can stitch anything - leather, boat covers as well as piecing quilts. I don't use it as much since I have the other machines, but she is still a good one. This machine will go to one of my god-daughters if she decided she wants to stitch.

The Bernina 1260 is one of my favorite machines - I love the way she sounds when stitching - so smooth. She has good features and the feed dogs can be released for free motion quilting. Today, this machine went to live with my sweet god-daughter.

She is a beginner in the sewing world and I felt that she needed to start on a good machine not a piece of junk. She seems very happy to have it and took to it like a duck to water. She has all of the feet that were made for that machine and I hope it will serve her as well as it served me for many years.

I bought the Bernina 440 for the BSR and more importantly for the halogin lighting - love the stitches it does especially all of the quilting stitches and the multiple needle positions.

I had a Bernina 170 that I upgraded to a 180 and then my aunt bought the 180 and I bought the 200 which I later upgraded to a 730 when that upgrade was available.

Now I have bought a new Bernina 830 and the 200/730 will go to my aunt and the 180 to a friend who wants to get into embroidery. I am looking forward to the 830 - it is such a wonderful machine that can do so much.

I will end up with the 440 and the new 830 assuming my god-daughter wants the old 830 - otherwise I will stitch on it from time to time like I do now.

Like I said earlier - I love Berninas and have been sewing on them for 30 years.