Zippered Tote Test

I have a couple of new things I'm working on right now, but neither is quite ready to blog about, so today I will share another one of the articles I wrote about the Bernina 380 for the Master Craftsters series on Craftster.   Rather than being a tutorial, this one is a recounting of my initial experience with , and reaction to, the Bernina 380 I had on loan for this series.  I really love this sewing machine, and I think it shows in this post!


Zippered Tote Test using the BERNINA 380
I decided to test the BERNINA 380 on the project I know best: a zippered purse that I designed a number of years ago. I've made a ton of them since then, so I could really compare this sewing machine to the one I've been using. I also got to try several new features of the machine and a new stitch.

     

Here, I've chosen and prepared all my fabrics: the front panel with horses, two horse pockets (one inside and one outside), canvas for the back and bottom of the bag, and a lining fabric.

     

Before I tried the BERNINA 380, I read that it has a presser foot lifter that you operate with your knee--of all the features on this machine, the "knee lifter" is my favorite thing!! As I sewed the lining onto the pocket fabric, at each corner I used the knee lifter to make the turn, so I never had to take my hands off the fabric. In the picture below, I am actually lifting the presser foot with my knee! Awesome! It did take some getting used to though, rather like learning to drive a stick shift, because you operate the knee lifter and the foot pedal with the same leg. (Yes, many times I lifted the presser foot when I meant to start sewing the seam!)

     

I reinforced the seams of the bag with a zigzag stitch. The computerized stitch selector is very easy to use, and going back and forth between the straight stitch and the zigzag stitch required only one push of a button. Amazingly, this BERNINA remembered the settings of the previous stitch as I had adjusted them (length, width, and needle position) and returned to my settings when I returned to that stitch! I love that!

     

It was when I was almost done with the bag, and turned it right-side-out for topstitching, that the true test began. The first question was: does this machine have good clearance under the sewing arm? The answer is YES! The bag easily slid under the arm and was easy to maneuver as I sewed.

     

The next and biggest question was, would this machine sew over the thick side seams easily, without skipping stitches? (My other machine always skips stitches in that area, which drives me crazy!) I held my breath as the side seam came closer and closer to the needle, and... YES! Bernie (as I call her now) did it! She sewed the seam evenly, without hesitation, and without skipping a stitch! Honestly, I almost felt like crying with happiness! The BERNINA 380 passed my toughest test.

     

     

It worked so well on the first bag that I made a few more!

     

Storage Jar Labels with Tutorial

Here's another one of the projects I made for the Master Craftsters campaign on Craftster.  The very last picture shows the wonderful new cubbyhole shelf I had just gotten from The Pottery Barn--I had seen it in the background of someone's post on Craftster, and I HAD TO HAVE IT!!  I ordered it online, and I just love it to pieces!  Coincidentally, a month or two prior to that, I had bought a case of canning jars at the grocery store with the intention of filling them with goodies to add to swap packages; but when I tried it out, the relatively small size of the jars, combined with their weight, made them a poor choice for a fun extra in a swap package, so I scrapped that idea and they were just sitting on the floor of my living room, taking up space.  As soon as I had the shelf set up in my sewing room, the lightbulb came on over my head:  Canning jars would fit in the cubbies!--The jars needed labels!--The Bernina 380 sews words!--I know what my next project will be!!!!

If your sewing machine doesn't sew words, you could make labels similar to this by either hand embroidering onto the felt; or, using cotton fabric or linen, you could rubber-stamp the words.


Storage Jar Labels using the BERNINA 380

     

I have a new cubby-hole shelf in my sewing room, and I'm using pint-size canning jars for storage there. I wanted some labels for the jars, and the BERNINA 380 just happens to be able to sew letters and words--this is a perfect project to experiment with that!

     

For 12 jars with a 10" circumference, you need 12 fabric strips cut 1 1/2" x 11", 12 pieces of 1/4" wide elastic cut 10" long, and wool felt in two colors.

     

Start by making the straps to hold the labels in place: using a 1/4" seam, sew the fabric strips in half lengthwise, right sides together, then turn them right-side-out. Thread one piece of elastic through each fabric tube. (I used the turning tool in the picture above to do both.) Then overlap the ends of the elastic 1/2" and sew the overlapped area securely on the machine.

     

You don't have to finish the ends of the fabric, since they will be covered by the label.

     

Now it's time to make the label! The manual for the BERNINA 380 gives easy-to-follow instructions for selecting the letters you want to sew. You scroll through the alphabet and make your selection. 

   

     

Then you step on the pedal and the machine sews the word! It's so cool!

     

I sewed my words onto white wool felt, leaving spaces in between for cutting.

     

Carefully cut the words apart, leaving 1/4" of the felt on each side. Then, cut along each edge with pinking shears.

     

Measure and cut the gray felt 1/4" wider and longer than the white felt. Pin the word to the gray felt, and sew it on the BERNINA.

     

Beautiful!

     

Cut a second piece of gray felt (for backing) the same size as the one on the label, and layer a strap between the backing and the label. Pin them together and sew close to the edge of the gray felt, all the way around all four sides with the machine.

     

This is how the finished labels look, front and back.

     

Slip a label onto each jar and you are done!

     

Here are my jars, all neatly labeled. This was a fast and fun and practical project--I love it!

Master Craftster

I can finally tell you the secret I've been keeping to myself for the past six weeks: I was chosen to be a "Master Craftster" on my favorite craft site, Craftster!   Along with four other talented women, I was given the loan of a brand new Bernina sewing machine!  We got to sew whatever projects we wanted, and then we wrote about them (and wrote tutorials for most of them).   During the next couple of weeks I will re-post my projects here.   I hope you will visit the Bernina 3-Series Master Craftsters page on Craftster; each one of us posted five or more projects, so there are a lot of great posts to read. You might just find a project you want to try yourself!

To be considered to be a Master Craftster, I had to submit links to the four best projects I've posted on Craftster. I sent in OctoBear, Embellished Fabric Baskets, Patchwork Heart Christmas Ornaments, and Cutest Critters Ever. Within a week I heard back that I had been chosen to participate! That was so exciting!  I was given access to a "secret" board on Craftster, where all of us "Bernina Ladies" could talk about the machines, and our plans for what we wanted to sew. 

About 10 days later the Bernina 380 showed up at my front door, and I could hardly wait to get started.  I quickly shoved my old sewing machine in the closet and gave the Bernina the place of honor on my sewing table!!  (Sadly, I am expected to return the Bernina when the 6-month loan is up--we'll see about that...)  I already knew some of the things I would sew, and others occurred to me once I saw what this sewing machine was capable of.  It was easy to learn, and after quickly reading through the instruction manual, I was sewing!

 I will leave you now with the introduction I wrote about myself for the Master Craftsters series:


I Love the Bernina 380!
Hi, I'm Leslie, and I am so excited to have been given the opportunity to test out the BERNINA 380!

  
I learned to sew in junior high school, when I took a Home Economics class. A couple of years later I saw a handmade quilt, up close, and I became obsessed with quilting--I taught myself to quilt from a book, and I started collecting fabric scraps from my friends' mothers! I was 14 when I made my first quilt, and I sewed nothing but quilts or quilted things (like pillows and wall hangings) until about ten years ago, when I suddenly wanted to make a purse. Since then I've made over 2000 purses (!), and a lot of other things, too. I just love to sew!

I was thrilled to hear I had been chosen as a Master Craftster, and to learn that I would be given the loan of a BERNINA 380 for six months! I have never used a BERNINA before, and it is SO much better than the cheap-o sewing machines I have been using (I think I know what I'm going to ask for, for Christmas this year!).

The BERNINA 380 comes with everything you need to get started sewing right away, including eight presser feet, extra needles, two spools of thread, and a pre-wound bobbin. The accessories case holds all the presser feet and small things like oil, a seam ripper, and a tiny brush for cleaning; there is space left over for extra presser feet that you might want to purchase.

  
I prefer not to read instructions, but I felt that I might be missing something if I didn't read the instruction book that comes with the machine. It really was helpful as I got started, and it was essential for learning to program the stitches and to spell out words with the alphabet stitches.

     
The BERNINA 380 also comes with this wide, slide-on table, which I love because the fabric doesn't slide off the back or start pulling off to the side. The bar coming out of the lower right corner of the machine one of my favorite features: the "Free-Hand System", which is the fancy term for what I call the "knee-lifter"--you push the bar with your knee, and the presser foot is raised, so you don't have to take your hands off your project to turn a corner while you are sewing! Sweet!

I am a perfectionist, so I really appreciate the beautiful, even stitches this machine produces, as well as the powerful motor that doesn't balk when sewing over bulky seams. I was hoping for a lot when I got this machine, and it has surpassed my expectations. I'm looking forward to sewing everything I can think of on this BERNINA 380!