Bernina sewing machines are truly works of art...

...and the 475 QE is no exception! This machine is high-end and fancy, but not to the point of being unable to use or appreciate every aspect of it, and it’s one of our favourite machines here at The Sewing Studio.

The QE in the name stands for Quilter’s Edition, and it is one of the highest quality of machines for quilters. It comes with many bells and whistles that make quilting a dream! It’s not just a machine for the avid quilter, though. It’s also great for any kind of sewist, from garments to upholstery to bags, it’s perfect for anyone!

This machine is computerised, making stitch selection easy to see and do, and allows you to see many things that other machines don’t- like how many stitches you’ve sewn since you started using it. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s start with the basics of this amazing machine.

The 475QE includes 840 different stitches, 10 of those being automatic 1-step buttonholes! If you’re into sewing garments, this amount of versatility is a must! Beginners may not know that different fabrics require different kinds of buttonholes, but you’ll be able to create beautiful clothes of any kind with the variety of stitches this machine has.

With so many stitches, you wouldn’t think you’d be able to customise each one, right? If so, you’d be wrong! This machine allows you to adjust stitch width up to 5.5mm maximum, and stitch length. The buttons for these features are easily found near the brightly lit computer screen.

The computer screen on the front of the machine is large and bright enough to see at 4.3 inches but doesn’t take up too much space of the machine’s face. You can see everything from the stitch you’ve selected to which foot you should be using- it takes a lot of the guess work out of sewing, that’s for sure.

Right above your needle you’ll find your reverse button along with a slew of other buttons you didn’t know you needed until now! You’ll be able to use a locking stitch, tell the machine if you want the needle up or down, and even cut your threads automatically. This is also where you’ll find the speed controls, where you can kick up the sewing speed up to 900 SPM!

And let us tell you, once you use a thread cutter once, you won’t want to go back to a regular sewing machine that doesn’t have an automatic thread cutter. You just press the button with the scissors depicted at the end of each seam to cut your thread tails. You won’t be wasting as much thread as you had before, and you won’t be scrambling for scissors or using the old razor on the side of the machine anymore. It’s a luxury you won’t want to give up!

And now for something you certainly need if you’re a Jack of all Trades: adjustable presser foot pressure! Being able to adjust the presser foot pressure allows you to sew any kind of fabric. From double gauze to rayon to quilting weight cotton to denim, you can customise your experience and make it so much easier to get different fabric types through your machine with ease. Quilting a lofty quilt with thick wadding? It can easily make it through this machine!

When you’re working on a large quilt, sometimes you need to be able to control the fabric with both hands. With other sewing machines, you need to take at least one hand off of your work as you raise or lower the presser foot. That’s not an issue with the Bernina 475 QE. This machine comes with a knee lift in the box! Use the knee lift to signal the machine that you want to raise or lower the presser foot with just the quick movement of your knee. The knee lift can also raise and lower the feed dogs, too! It plugs right into the front of the machine and can easily be stored when not in use.

You’ll have plenty of working space with the 475QE. You’ll find that you have 7 inches of working space to the right of the needle and can easily find the free arm to sew smaller, tubular bits like the sleeve of a shirt.

The 475 QE has a working space of 7 whole inches to the right of the needle! It makes for easy quilting with that much space. This machine also comes already equipped with an extension table that easily slides and clicks into place, expanding your working space to the left of the needle. Normally, you’d have to buy an extension table separately, even order something custom made to get this feature!

The bobbins that this machine requires are high volume and well built. You won’t need to wind a bobbin as often. It also alerts you to when the bobbin is running low, so there’s no need to keep too close of an eye on your thread amounts while sewing.

Contact us here at The Sewing Studio any time to ask us any questions about this model or any other sewing machine you have you eyes on. We’ll also available for you to come in and test out any of our floor models!