Some
images on this page and throughout this website are from my favorite
archival and historical sewing books, and they are also in the public
domain for viewing anytime and looking into the past via a needle
and thread. They also show that the basics still apply in modern
sewing.
Embroidery
and Tapestry Weaving by Grace Christie, 1912.
Handbook
of Embroidery by L. Higgin, 1880.
Jacobean
Embroidery by Ada Wentworth Fitzwilliam and A. F. Morris Hands,
1912.
OK, I'm partial to Bernina. For the two facts are that I own one, and all the community college classes I took on sewing - took place on the school's many, many Bernina brand sewing machines for the students (thank you for the introduction to the brand!). While the model I own is no longer being made (see the picture below), it still is a really great machine performing all the tasks I need to be done.
Bernina Active 145
Image Courtesy Bernina
Information & History About the Bernina Brand Sewing Machines:
Founded in 1893 in Steckborn, Sweden, by Karl Friedrich Gegauf who invented the hemstich the same year.
Karl's machines became so popular, the term 'gegaufing' was synonomous with the mechanical production of hemstitching.
The companies first household machine was produced as furniture-cum-sewing-machine.
1937 Bernina had their first zig-zag machine.
Under Odette Gegauf-Ueltschi, the grand-daughter of Karl, the Bernette machines were created - and was named after a combination of the two names: Bernina & Odette.
Bernina sells only to businesses, through dealers (multi-brand stores or only-Bernina dealerships), and no company-direct customer sales.
Here are some helpful links for Bernina brand sewing machines:
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