Bernina Must-have Accessories
 

What are the Bernina must have accessories? Do you like the multi-spool holder or is that a waste of money?

Welcome to the QB and you're sure to get a lot of replies based on what type of sewing. Quilter here: Bernina walking foot is great, #57 edge stitch. Embroidery #26, multi-spool holder nice, but not absolutely necessary ( in my opinion) Have fun!

I like the open toe foot presser foot for appliqué ... can’t remember the number off the top of my head. I think it depends on which model you have. I use a standing spool holder separate from my machine.

I bought a multispool holder for one of my Vikings....but alas....it is mostly a dust collector.....My Vikings had two spool holders on the machine and I only very occasionally like maybe once or twice in the 30 some years have I used a twin needle with different colors.....I thought it would be cool for embroidery....but actually I found it easier to just line up the various colors I needed to the right of the machine and place the right spool on the machine at the right time....Now a walking foot is absolutely essential in my opinion as is an open toe foot and a piecing foot....I actually like the one with out the blade guide best...but some folks really like the blade guide...I am somewhat of a foot hog....so when ever there is a foot sale...there I am....I have feet for my Vikings I have never used....but who knows...someday I may just have a need for that fancy sequin foot I just had to have....

I've had my new-to-me Bernina 820 for a bit over a year and it's hard for me to answer that question. I had the option to learn its features and use them, or just keep pretending it didn't do anything more than my previous vintage machine. I know what I use and like and have already. So... my Bernina has the integrated walking foot and the BSR, I've used both as well as tried out the regular stitch for quilting down. Like them all. I'm mostly going to be using the serpentine stitch and the BSR for quilting. My friend suggested that I just keep it in walking foot mode while piecing since all I do is quilt, it is easy to take in and out, but mostly I just keep on my quilting foot and let it walk... It is well lit, easy to thread, and has a huge throat.

Although I've had my machine on the table top for decades, I'm really wanting this to be sunk down table level for quilting, even with the extra wide bed. It's not that it is flimsy -- but it feels like it to me and it is awkward. My goal for this year is to find an affordable sewing table that will fit that machine. I will probably still rise it up to piece with, but lower to table top when I am actually quilting.

My machine does not do embroidery so have no opinions on thread holders in that way. Typically I just use one thread at a time and it isn't an issue for me. However, my machine is in the shop now due to an error screen that shows the problem as the thread entering my machine -- it's either a thread sensor malfunction or it just needed cleaning, in any event, I couldn't clear it myself. This model did not go over well with the public and seemed to have a lot of mechanical/computer errors especially related to threading.

My main negative with the machine is rather silly, it has proprietary bobbins which are not cheap. They are extra large and are not a standard size, you cannot buy prewound bobbins which I've grown to like. It's easy to wind the bobbins, but I'd prefer to have a big stack of bobbins ready to use. If I were to buy anything, it would probably be more bobbins.

For features I like, I just did a set-in square version of Lemoyne Star on my back up portable class machine and really missed my thread cutter. I hear complaints from others that their machines leave long tails -- not the Bernina, or cut too short and they lose stitches, again, no problems there I find them just right!

I love the knee lever for foot up/down. My friend who gave me the machine never used it. My model allows me to set the needle up or down with a foot tap - this is the greatest thing since sliced bread! Yes, there are buttons but I have vision issues so I can't read them and don't know them well and when I'm guiding my last bits of fabric I don't want to be taking my hand off and pressing a button. I have learned the location of that cut thread option, and by then my hand is coming up and right past the button anyway.

The self threader is nice and one of the reasons my friend gave me the machine. Again, with my vision issues some things are just getting harder and harder. Threaders can get out of place on any machine but I'm finding it works well and consistently. My cheapo Brother I'm using has a better threader assist than any of my vintage machines, for them I use one of those hummingbird shaped needle threaders.

Again, I don't have the embroidery module but I did use the built in stitches to repeat my hubby's name along the bottom of his bowling towel... (it's to wipe the ball). The fancy stitches will be used less than 1% of the time for me, so far as I can tell the accessory pack that came with the machine will have everything I need.

I think that if you run across a project that requires a specialty foot, that is the time to buy it. You see the feet are quite pricy and buying them all at once could be a lot of waste unless you intend to use them. (IMO)

I love the #57 with the 1/4" seam guard, the walking foot, and the foot for making a covered seam (like jeans) I don't recall the number. I mostly use those but I have a couple others like the binding foot and the turned edge foot for scarves and baby blankets that I bought separately. Some people like a roller foot or Teflon foot for gliding over leather or nubby type fabric.

But, like I said before, I bought them as it became necessary.

I do some embroidery and did buy the thread spool holder. It is sitting in the box. I did not like it myself, but it could be useful if you have lots of thread changes and want to keep them in order of when they need to be used.

I have a few favorites. #1 is the walking foot. Don't know how I ever sewed without it! #20 is the open-toe embroidery foot for applique. #66 is a 1/4" rolled hem foot. Works great on tea towels. If you've got the 9mm needle plate hole, you've got to get the #97D for piecing. It comes with a guide if you want to use it, or you can sew without it. Haven't had a chance to use my multi-spool thread holder, yet. I upgraded to a new Bernina 590, just 2 1/2 weeks ago. Oh, my gosh! I love it!

I almost forgot about the ruffler attachment. I used it a ton back in the 80's, when we put ruffles on everything.

I like the edgefoot for topstitching to keep a my stitching line straight.

Anybody have the Ruffler foot. My dil wishes me to put ruffles around the border of a quilt.

I don't think they said the machine but here's some ruffler action
https://www.quiltingboard.com/genera...s-t310730.html