Fantastic laser!

About a year ago, I traded in my Bernina 790Plus (which I *loved*) for the Bernina 790Pro. I thought long and hard about it, but I couldn’t really see a down side; the Pro has all of the fabulous features of the Plus and some amazing additions. One of those additions, and the one that seems to get the most attention, is the built-in laser light.

Many people wonder why it’s so wonderful, since it is definitely possible to add a laser onto almost any machine. However, the Bernina laser is different. For one thing, I’ve read reviews of the add-ons, and it seems that it’s not uncommon for the motion of the machine to jar the laser out of the alignment that the sewist wants. Another difference is that those add-ons are typically a line that goes from near the front of the presser foot to the edge of the sewing table. That helps to see where you’re about to go, but it does nothing to show where you currently are.

So how is the Bernina different? First of all, because it’s built into the machine, it won’t be knocked out of alignment. Even more important, though, is that it’s not a line; it’s a *dot*. Why is that better? It’s better because it shines exactly where the needle is about to penetrate the fabric! No guessing involved. This is wonderful, both for precise placement of embroidery motifs and for general sewing. Right now, for example, I’m doing the stabilizing stitching on a quilt; I’m stitching in the ditch along the seam lines. That laser shows me exactly where my needle will hit, so I’m not veering out of the ditch. You can see that little pinpoint light in the photo here, especially if you click on the photo to make it larger. It makes that kind of stitching so much more precise and easy!