What brand and model do you have?
Bernina Artista
How long have you had it?
about 2 years
How much does that machine cost (approximately)?
way more than I should have spent and I'm embarrassed to say
What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)?
quilting (love the BSR electronic eye gadget), home deco, misc. projects
How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?
About once a month. She is very gently used.
Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?
I love this machine, I am a bit of a gadget freak and she has gadgets and features galore. I call her "Queen Bernina" since she has the crown jewels affixed to her front and of course, the heraldic theme to announce her presence whenever she is switched on.
What features does your machine have that work well for you?
I used to have a commercial embroidery machine which I sold when the business was a failure and we moved. The Queen fills the gap quite nicely for my current "whenever the whim strikes" one at a time embroidery projects. I also love the auto thread cutters and the BSR foot mentioned above.
Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?
I find the front load bobbin case a little fiddly, especially as the door is hard to open (I keep a little plastic stick on hand to hook into it) and when I have the Queen's sewing arm lowered to the sewing table height the bobbin case is sort of under the table and I have to extract and replace the bobbin case by feel mostly. I liked the drop-in bobbin on the last machine better.
Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it!
no great stories yet
Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?
The Queen is not cheap, oh no she isn't, so unless you have some serious cash on hand from say, selling a big commercial embroidery machine, I would recommend this only to the serious sewer. Also, she may not be the best machine for technophobes as she is fully computerized with a bazillion features. If you do invest in this royal machine, please do take full advantage of any classes that are offered to help you get to know her better.
What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?
- experience (if new to sewing, start with a simpler machine, it may force you to learn to do a few things manually that you will then appreciate so much more when you can spring for an upgrade)
- the store you intend to purchase from, I got mine at Meissners in Sacramento, even though it was a bit of a drive, the staff is very knowledgable and friendly, they offer free classes on most new machines, they have repair staff on hand and also a pretty good selection of used machines if you have champagne taste on a beer budget.
- weight (if you intend to cart it around to classes, your friends house, etc), more metal in the body will probably last longer, but makes it quite heavy.
- get one that does an automatic buttonhole if at all possible
- your comfort level with computer systems, there are plenty of perfectly good machines that are not computerized (my last one was an entry level Elna and she was great).
Do you have a dream machine?
Yea and she lives in my sewing room :)