I know very little about sewing machines so immediately took to twitter and this very helpful sewing forum to ask for advice. One name that came up over and over again was Bernina, so off I went to find a machine.
I quickly realised that my budget (now don't laugh) of £150-£200 was quite inadequate so it was suggested I should go for a secondhand model, not really wanting to risk ebay I phoned a few sewing shops and asked them to keep an eye out for one but they all said they very rarely had them in.
I resigned myself to upping my budget and buying a new machine.
After more research and some twitter recommendations I decided to get a Pfaff 3.0 which was almost double my budget.
Just as I was about to order it our local sewing machine repair shop telephoned to say they'd just found an old Bernina 807.
So here it is, its a beautiful machine probably about 40 years old but as you can see it's really been looked after and comes complete with all its original attachments and manual.
I've only had a little play but even a novice like me can tell it sews beautifully.
I'm only planning some simple sewing at first so it suits me perfectly and if I decide I need something a little more sophisticated I can always upgrade although something tells me there's quite a lot of life left in this old Swedish lady.
8 comments:
Lovely! It's exactly the machine I learnt to sew on (my Mum's). Very robust and reliable. To be honest, as long as it does straight stitches and zigzag, you'll probably never need anything else.
Isn't that great, Dee? Reusing a well made piece of machinery that has withstood the test of time - and saving money as well. Very rewarding and, as you say. Fate. Lesley x
My mom had that same model! Best sewing machine I've ever used.
Sadly it took a nasty fall and broke beyond repair. Nothing I've used since has been able to live up to it.
she's a beauty, Dee. Can't wait to see what you produce on her ;-)
I too learned to sew on this model. It's a great machine! And thanks for the reminder/tip - I really need a better machine than what I have today :-)
Great machine. I learnt on one of those at school, and my quilter friends all love theirs.
Thank you for brightening up my world with your prints.
I would like to give you a 'Liebster' blog award... hop on over to my blog http://craftyaunty6.blogspot.com
Love Mara
You know, this post planted in me a want for a quality vintage Bernina machine. And the other day I got one! Mine's a 932 - it has a few more functions than what I was used to, but nothing complicated. These are fantastic machines and they just don't make them like this anymore. So, thank you for getting me on the track! I hope to make good use of it.
PS! I first tried to persuade my sister to sell me her vintage Bernina 820 model. Of course she wouldn't part with it :-)
I bought this same machine back in 1982, used. I have used it almost exclusively except for my serger and I would never get rid of it! I have more feet for it than shoes in my closet and even a bought a wonderful buttonhole attachment for it. Take good care of it an you won't need another machine.
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