BERNINA Corporate Blog -Time for a new BERNINA adventure: with the BERNINA L 460!
Hi, I’m Irene. Maybe you’ve come across my quilting blogs here on the BERNINA blog. I’ve covered many miles quilting on my BERNINA 770 QE and Q 16 quilting machine.
For the next few months, I’m embarking on something different, something new, and I’m super excited about it – a new adventure with the BERNINA L 460!
An overlocker, do you really need it?
Since the birth of my son five years ago, I’ve occasionally sewn children’s clothing – baby pants, a T-shirt, a dress for our daughter. I find such projects incredibly enjoyable. I used to sew the seams in knit fabric with a stretch stitch on my BERNINA 770 QE. It worked fine, and I often wondered, “Do you really need an overlocker?”. That was until I got to borrow my friends overlocker.
Experienced clothing makers might chuckle, but WOW, what a difference such a machine makes compared to a regular sewing machine! An overlocker sews with its two needles and four threads so quickly that the stretch stitch on the B 770 QE can’t compete.
Creating the occasional small project on the B 770 QE was fine. But now that I’m sewing clothing more often and want to work on projects for myself, an overlocker is truly fantastic.
Welcome to the studio L460!
A bit of an adjustment
Besides the speed of sewing, an overlocker also trims away excess fabric, something I’m not used to as a quilter. When quilting, you carefully measure a 1/4″ seam allowance around all pieces, and you have almost no excess fabric in your seams after sewing.
This is a different approach altogether. It’s evident that I have a lot to learn and practice when it comes to sewing clothing. Fortunately, I find learning new things and exploring them super exciting. I can’t wait to get to know this machine better and create beautiful projects with it.
Ruffles and a rolled hem, such a charming detail!
Learning new things
You can learn new things on your own. With YouTube videos and blog posts, you can go a long way. There’s so much information available online! But attending a workshop or taking classes has its own charm. Besides being a lot of fun, you receive direct feedback on how you’re doing something and get help with any problems you encounter.
I’ve already attended an overlocker workshop with my new L 460 at Modevakschool Ester Costa. Such a workshop is suitable for any type of overlocker. You get to know your machine, practice many different stitches, and if you take good notes, you’ll have a handy reference to take home.
Practice swatches with various overlocker settings. Incredibly instructive to experiment with your new machine this way.
And recently, I started going to sewing lessons with a friend every few weeks. It’s mostly about having a great time, but it also provides an opportunity to work on a project at a relaxed pace and ask any questions I may have. I highly recommend checking if there are sewing classes or groups in your area. Many BERNINA dealers also offer regular workshops.
Plans with the L 460
For now, I’d like to create some projects to get to know my new machine better and adapt to the process of sewing clothing on an overlocker. I have some shirts to make for little Ella, with ruffles and rolled hems. I’m also working on a knit dress for myself.
I’m really looking forward to learning more about pattern adjustments to make garments fit even better. I already have a nice sweater in mind that I’d like to recreate.
So, I have plenty of plans to look forward to. I’ll be taking you along on my overlocking adventures here on the blog. A new adventure with the BERNINA L 460 – I can’t wait!
See you soon!
Irene
P.S. Watch the unboxing video here where I unpacked the box, did the first test runs, and tried out some machine settings to achieve a super nice stitch!
Even though I have owned my L460 for a few years, I learned a couple of things about the controls on the machine. I enjoy making clothes on my L460.
Love this machine