Sarah Neuburger of The Small Object shares with us her sewing machine, the Bernina Activa 130.
Sarah says, “A Bernina Activa 130 that was purchase used from a local quilting guild last year. It was a gift but it was pretty pricey at around $400 I think. I had been sewing on my mother’s first Singer (don’t recall the model, about 40 years old) which was an awesome metal machine but when a pin broke some gears a few belts (don’t ask, I didn’t realize a pin was in there) fixing it became cost prohibitive. While I was afraid of a computerized machine I have fallen in love with this one. I used to have trouble adjusting the tension on various fabric weights and this one is no trouble and I seldom have to adjust it. The fancy options I use most: the knee lift for raising the presser foot, the needle up/down by use of the foot pedal–which I really love. Otherwise, it’s just a good solid machine with few thread breaks and tension problems (unlike the Singer through anything but cotton) and its heavy enough that it doesn’t bounce over my table. I was trying to decide between a comparable Janome and honestly got this one since my mother + sister both have Berninas and the presser feet/attachments which are all compatible between our models so that meant the perks of having access to more cool stuff like a pleater foot! ” Link.
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