Thread: Bernina owners: new ruler foot

I'm interested in trying some ruler work on my Bernina 440. I've read on some of
websites of companies that sell rulers that the ruler foot for the newly released Bernina
longarm is interchangeable in all the Bernina domestic sewing machines. So I emailed my
dealer to confirm. This is what I was told:
"Thank you so much for your interest in xxx and the new Bernina Ruler Foot. This foot was developed for the new Bernina Q24 Longarm. It will certainly fit on a domestic Bernina sewing machine, however, it has not been completed tested for that use. As an example, you would damage your machine if you were using that foot and raised it while your needle was in the down position. There just isn't enough clearance between the foot and the needle clamp for the foot to be raised and the needle down. If you damaged your machine using this foot, then it would not be covered with the machine's warranty.

Now, having said all that, if you are still interested in trying it, we would be happy to order it for you."

What would you all do? Wait to see if Bernina makes a ruler foot specifically for their DSMs? Or go
ahead and use it, being careful not to raise the foot in the needle down position?

I don't have a Bernina, however, after free motion quilting for a couple years on my domestic, then progressing to a long arm, I would be really afraid to try using a ruler on a domestic machine. I'm not really sure how you could keep the ruler AND fabric sandwich firmly against the foot. Even with a long arm, you have to be very careful not to get the ruler caught under the foot. You can not only damage the foot, you can throw the timing off.

Originally Posted by PaperPrincess

I don't have a Bernina, however, after free motion quilting for a couple years on my domestic, then progressing to a long arm, I would be really afraid to try using a ruler on a domestic machine. I'm not really sure how you could keep the ruler AND fabric sandwich firmly against the foot. Even with a long arm, you have to be very careful not to get the ruler caught under the foot. You can not only damage the foot, you can throw the timing off.

The rulers I'm thinking about getting are called Fine Line Quilting Rulers- they have a gripper strip (which is the hook part of a Velcro strip along the center of the ruler, on the underside). It is supposed to make controlling the ruler and fabric sandwich easy. I've never used a ruler - so I'm not sure if this is all too optimistic. I certainly don't want to throw off the timing of my machine since I don't have a back up and would have to ship my machine out of the country for repair.

Originally Posted by OhCanada

The rulers I'm thinking about getting are called Fine Line Quilting Rulers- they have a gripper strip (which is the hook part of a Velcro strip along the center of the ruler, on the underside). It is supposed to make controlling the ruler and fabric sandwich easy. I've never used a ruler -

HandiQuilter makes a semi-transparent tape that can be cut down and stuck to the underside of quilting rulers that grips the "sandwich" and helps move it.

As for your original question, if I didn't have my Babylock Tiara, I might be tempted to try the foot on my 350 since I use the knee lift with that machine and can better control how much I lift the foot. But no way would I put that foot in my 780. Have you given any thought to how you'd turn corners in quilting, if you can't do it in the needle down position? I'd wait for Bernina to release a DSM foot or get an aftermarket foot.

I wouldn't get it. They don't have a very good track record with new things in the past 5 years. There's someone else who's making them to fit Bernina's. Wait a little while. Her's will probably be less expensive, too.

Don't void your warrenty not worth it.