Let's explore how you choose stitches, change your change width, needle position and stitch
length and other basics about using this sewing machine.
First off when you put your fabric underneath the foot, if both the threads are underneath
the foot and somewhere between 9 o'clock off to the left side here.
Nine o'clock, ten o'clock, eleven o'clock or straight out the back; when you start sewing
after you've lowered down the presser foot you do not need to hold these threads when
you start to sew.
As long as the needle lands in fabric first, that is key for that stitch to start off with.
You don't have to hold the threads.
Isn't that nice?
Now when set up or turn on the machine you're going to get to a straight stitch which says
stitch number one and a stitch length of just about two millimeters.
You have millimeters for length and millimeters for width.
You'll get used to those.
They're not hard to learn where things need to be set.
There's also a blinking light, so if we made the stitch length longer, which are these
buttons here.
As I take it up to a three millimeter length that would be for heavier fabrics.
You want a little longer stitch to help go through the thicknesses.
It leaves a blinking place of where normal is.
If I'd like to go back to normal, there is a clear button down here on the lower corner.
When I push clear it returns back to where it started.
I can change the length while I'm sewing.
If I go ahead and try to figure what's really going to look best on my project I can run
that all the way up to its longest setting at five or back down as close to zero as possible.
If you get to zero you're really not going very far very fast, so don't stay there too
long.
You can always push clear and it will get you back to where you started.
When you get to the end of your fabric you have a reverse button for securing right at
the tip of your thumb or finger, whichever you want to use.
As you hold it in, we'll go back in the exact same hole until you let go of it and it will
continue forward.
With the needle stopping up, that makes it really easy to go ahead and pull your fabric
out.
If you take your threads from front to back, that's going to cut the threads and do you
notice?
It's going to hold the threads up and out of the way.
Then when you go to start again you really just need to put your foot down and step on
the foot control to start sewing.
To pick different stitches we're going for example pick stitch number two, that's the
zigzag.
We get a new length for recommendation and now a width as it brings us across.
We'll just start to stitch that setting here and we can see how wide the Bernina will stitch.
It's up to five and half millimeters wide.
Then we can make that stitch longer or shorter.
Again changing it while we're sewing is perfect because then you can really get it just right.
For example, if I go ahead and make this all the way down to right about zero on your machine,
you're going to see some hash marks in the stitch length area.
That's indicating satin stitch and you can bring that stitch length down close enough
so it really makes for pretty sentences.
Let me show you what that is and get a nice stitch out here.
I'll stop with the needle up.
See how pretty this is.
When you bring it close enough together and your stitches are solid, that is a satin stitch.
You can use that around an appliqué and really secure the raw edges of a project.
When you are finished and you want to go back to a straight stitch, you don't need to clear
out anything.
All you need to do is select stitch number one and you'll go right back to whatever settings
it was last set at.
Once again you're ready to go.
Let's talk about stopping with the needle in the fabric, so in the down position.
The picture right here indicates the needle has been stopping in the up position.
Push this button right below the screen and that needle and that arrow now points down.
Now when I stitch and I stop, the needle's in the fabric.
Lift up your foot, turn your fabric and you can now easily turn corners without having
any stitches moved.
Did you notice?
I have not touched the hand wheel out to the side yet for anything I've needed to do.
I'm going to lift, turn another corner, making it really easy to get around your project.
When you're done you can do two things.
You can turn the hand wheel, but if you're going turn the hand wheel here, what you need
to do is look inside here and make sure the take-up lever comes up to the highest position
when you're done.
That's very important so when you start off sewing again you don't have to hold those
threads and you have complete the stitch that's currently left.
When you bring that all the way up, then it's ready to have the fabric taken out.
What I like to do instead of turning the hand wheel is stop with the needle in the down
position.
Touch and hold this same needle button on the front of the machine for two seconds,
watch.
One, two, it brings the needle up but the picture on screen sets it back to stop in
the down position.
Next time I go to sew it's going to continue and stop in the down position.
I like the down position when I'm working on a bulky project, large project because
then as I move the fabric into position I don't lose that last stitch that I'm actually
stitching on.
So that's real important.
Ok, here's one other thing.
We've done stitch length.
We've done stitch width.
Now let's talk needle position.
You'll notice right underneath the numbers for the stitch width there's a row of dots.
As you move the needle to the right that dot is highlighted across the way, but now when
I start to sew; did you notice the needle is in the fabric and it doesn't matter.
Not until this stitch comes all the way up does that needle move to the far right needle
position.
This is great for putting zippers in, doing topstitching and you can once again change
it as you go.
You have quite a few needle positions.
Look here, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine on this machine.
All the way from right to left and then again if I just want to get it back to center quickly,
touch clear.
That will get you right back to where you need.
Another item on your screen is the presser foot and it has a number by it.
If I pick a stitch, for example stitch number three is a very over lock stitch and it's
going to recommend foot number two.
This is a foot that actually does not come with this model because you are set up more
for a quilting machine with other accessories.
This foot is an option for you to purchase but the machine will tell you which foot is
best for that particular stitch.
You can use your regular standard foot number one.
It's not the best foot, but it is and will work for that stitch.
Now if you ever touch the reverse button two times quickly, you're going to notice the
same symbol as the reverse button on your screen.
When you start to sew it's going to sew backwards for you without you doing anything.
So that's a way to if your project is big and bulky and you can't keep your hand on
the reverse button, if you tap it two times it will then set it to sew backwards.
To release that or tell it to go forward again, tap it two times quickly and that will then
allow you to sew forward again.
I've had calls where my machine is sewing backwards.
Well, also turning the machine off and on will fix that problem as well.
Now you also have a speed control here.
Now this is set up for when you want to sew without your foot control.
You can do this even without unplugging it, but just so you can get the idea I'm going
to unplug my foot control.
I'm going to set all the way at minus, at the slowest speed so it doesn't run away from
me when I start to stitch.
This button right here is a start/stop button.
As I push it the machine is going to start to sew.
I am not doing anything, because my foot control is unplugged.
I can speed it up or slow it down.
Just keep in mind where that stop button is and it will stop as soon you touch it.
If you ever get somewhere and you forget your foot control, you can at least sew and then
find yourself a speed that works well for your project.
I like to use have it at the minus sign when I'm getting started and then bump it up to
the speed I need it to be.
Yet have my finger ready to stop it as soon as I need to do it.
You can use the reverse button as you need and then come up here and turn it off.
It's nice to have those features right at your machine and keep it at minus until you
need it.