SHOPPING THE BERNINA STORE

Mike and I drove to the farm this morning, bringing my Bernina with me this trip, which freed up some space in the living room of the modular home. I packed her up into her new rolling case together with all her accessories. While I'm here I hope to organize the "vintage sewing room" and my projects, but I know the progress will be slow. Seems like we have a lot to do.

Let me tell you about my last trip to the Bernina store. Now, it's a given with the sewing machine industry that once they sell you a machine, they seem to think you're a candidate for another machine. And since they market that way, it must work for them. I receive frequent email messages from both the Lewiston shop and the Bernina company, and it's always about machines. I wish they'd tell me more about accessories, show me what I can do with this or that foot. Then I would at least be able to afford something.

Well, anyway, last fall I went to the Bernina shop to buy an "even feed foot" for my new Bernina sewing machine. I hadn't realized they were quite so expensive -- $150 or so – and going up all the time. I wasn't prepared for that info and I guess my face registered what the associate read as "too much."

"Oh! But don't buy it now," she said. "Wait until we have a sale." And she went on about coupons and reward cards and be sure to read this and that for sale info. So, I left the shop without buying the even feed foot, wondering if I had made the decision not to buy right then or the associate decided for me.

Well, when I received advice of the Memorial Day sale at the Bernina shop, I decided the time had come to buy that even feed foot. So, Friday morning I showed up at the store.

"The even feed foot?" asked the associate. "Oh, I'm sorry. We sold the last one last night, and since we're out, you won't be able to take advantage of the sale. That's too bad."

"This is the hardest place to buy anything from!" I think to myself. "Well, tell me about the stitch regulator," I said. My old pal Chris teaches embroidery classes in Moscow. I've been thinking maybe I could take one of those classes – if I had that expensive little wonder called the stitch regulator.

With that the associate's eyes glazed over and she ran to get the instructor from the class in the next room. I explained to that individual that I had really come for the even feed foot and discovering I couldn't buy it, was just looking for information.

"Oh! But if you want the even feed foot, just pay now at the sale price, and we'll call you when it comes." Sanity returns to this place! I think.

So, yes, I paid for the foot, and no sooner had I returned the six miles to my house than the phone rang. "Guess what!" said the Bernina associate. "We got freight! We have the even feed foot for you."

I picked it up on Saturday and enjoyed a visit with the associate who originally told me to wait until it was on sale. "I'm so happy you got it," she said; "I know you've wanted it for a long time."