Spring to life with a new Bernina

Spring Break. I have been waiting for this week all winter long. I have been carefully saving my money for my dream sewing machine. Well, last Saturday I did it. I drove to Patchwork Plus in Marcellus, NY (an amazing quilt & yarn shop by the way (a candy shop for my eyes!) Fortunately (or not), it's 40 miles away, just far enough for me to limit my trips so I don't spend every last penny I have there.
Upon much deliberation, I bought the Aurora 440 QE.

 I brought it home and immediately set upon finding out what makes this machine so special. I was intimidated at first. Was it buyer's remorse? Well, the only way to find out was to delve into it and try everything out imaginable. I designed a placemat using scrap fabrics. Something that I could use to try the bells and whistles of the machine. And start sewing I did....

First I was thinking, okay...it feels different from my last machine and then I was hooked. I have been sewing non-stop since last Saturday afternoon. I woke up in the middle of the night wanting to go sew. I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. one night to explore more features on the machine. I was saying things  to myself like, "So that is what a walking foot is supposed to work like". The BSR (Bernina Stitch Regulator) is awesome. There was a little bit of a learning curve, but I am well onto my next quilt to explore the use of this feature. 

The bobbin winder!

The light over the workspace!

The needle threader!

The stitches...it does basic embroidery stitches (letters and numbers)!

I am so pleased. It is a terribly expensive machine. It is worth it knowing that I can have it serviced easily and that technical support is only a 45 minute drive away.

Things I practiced and explored upon using my machine. Started with a small project, easily finished in a short amount of time.

• patchwork (piecing 1 1/2" fabric strips)
• embroidery stitch (blanket stitch) around fused fussy cut squares in corner
• walking foot
• BSR ~ some stippling and free motion quilting.

Now I have a nice little placemat to go under a plant. Officially my first test project on the Bernina.

Now I am on to the next project. A quilt made from 2 1/2" squares (all scraps that I dutifully cut up from leftover fabric). The squares are done and now the sewing begins. I love how it is starting to look.

It's called "Off Set Spiral". I'll keep you posted.