So, back in August of last year, I wrote about the Bernina 570QE, and some of the things I liked, and some I didn’t care for as much. I spent a fair amount of the last year not really liking the machine all that much, until I decided to do a little research into the issues I was having, and how to fix them.

My primary complaint was that I couldn’t get an accurate 1/4″ seam, regardless of the foot I used. You see, Bernina has several 1/4″ feet, and I think I tried them all, but every time I tried to use one of them, the fabric would go odd angles and I felt like I was fighting it every step of the way just to get a straight seam. After several months of dealing with this, I realized that this was caused by not using the dual feed mechanism on the machine when using the #97D foot. I have a #37, a #57 and a #97 foot, but none of them were giving me straight seams. Once I started doing some research, I found that the #97D foot was the upgrade I didn’t know I needed.

While the newer 570 QE’s are shipping with the #97D, my machine came with the regular #97. What is the difference, you ask? Well, the D stands for Dual Feed, and let me tell you, it’s the difference between an ok seam and a stellar seam. I shelled out the money for the #97D foot, which was about $100, but it was well worth the price once I got it on the machine. Like Pfaff, this Bernina machine has a dual feed mechanism that you engage from the back of your machine. It can only be used with feet that have the D designation, and they are not cheap. But it was a whole different ballgame once I realized I need to engage the dual feed every time I put this foot on. Actually, I did know that, but for some reason, I just wasn’t engaging it. If the #57D works on my machine, I would like to try it out. I have the Bernina foot book, but it isn’t here with me right now, but I will look to see if it works on a 9 mm machine.

Something else I mentioned in my last post about the 570QE was that it needs to be oiled frequently, and how I thought this was a pain. It was also quite difficult to get the bobbin hook back in the machine and seated correctly after oiling. I will tell you that after frequent usage, I’ve grown accustomed to oiling the machine as well as seating the hook. In fact, I can pop it open and oil the machine, then replace the hook in about a minute total, if I’m going slowly. I still find it interesting that you have to do this, but I no longer find it annoying, and quite frankly the huge bobbin helps.

There are still a few things that I wasn’t pleased with last year about this machine. It hasn’t suddenly grown a few more inches in length to the right of the needle, and the accessories are still quite expensive. But it came to me one day that I have the Brother Stellaire XJ1, which has plenty of space to the right of the needle, and really how many large machines does one need? I think you only NEED one, and anymore than that is nice but not a necessity.

And yes, the accessories are still quite expensive, but that has caused me to be a little more intentional in what I decide to buy, and when. I don’t just randomly buy feet I don’t need anymore, just because they are cheap. I keep an eye on the “Accessory of the Month” and if it’s something I think I’ll use, I buy it when it goes on sale for 25% off. Most of the time, I’m only doing a few things with my machine, and I don’t sew garments, so I need a good 1/4″ inch foot, an open toe foot, and maybe one or two others, but I don’t need every foot Bernina makes.

If there was one thing about this machine I’d change, I guess it would be the embroidery arm. I wish it was a little bigger. Although it claims to be a 6″ x 10″ field, it’s something much less than that. And I’m still not a fan of the narrow oval hoop. I can buy other hoops that would give me a little more room to work with, but they are super expensive. And I have two Brother machines that give me at least four hoop sizes that I don’t have on the Bernina. All in all, I don’t really need more. That said, this is the perfect machine to take to classes. It’s small enough to be portable without giving you a heart attack, and large enough to do most Kimberbell events. 😉

That said, the new Bernina 790 Pro has come out, and it is beautiful. I’d love to run right down to the quilt shop and snap one up – in fact, they had an event today to introduce the machine to their customers, and I would have loved to go. I had to work, though, so I didn’t get to see what it does first hand. But maybe down the road, I can entertain the idea of inviting one of them to come home with me.

In the meantime, I have made peace with the Bernina 570QE, and the more I use it, the more I love it. Do I love everything about it? No, but it’s highly unlikely you’ll like everything about any single machine. Do I love it enough to use it for a few years and then maybe upgrade? You betcha. In fact, I think I may have finally landed on my perfect sewing set up – Bernina for piecing and sewing, and Brother for embroidery and backup sewing. This is the set up I never knew I needed, but have grown to love for many reasons.