The Bernina Academy Mystery Make Class

I went to the store a bit early yesterday morning to help the owner set up for the serger class. Eleven students were enrolled, including several from my Serger 101 and T-shirt classes. The teacher’s name is Sandra Swick and she lives in Coeur d’Alene. She’s a Bernina Educator and travels all over the country. I asked her how often she teaches and she told me that she is gone every weekend from about September to May, except for holidays. She doesn’t teach over the summer. That’s a grueling schedule. She must enjoy it, though. And she’s an excellent teacher.

This store has a great classroom facility, added on a few years ago:

A few students brought their own machines. The store provided some and borrowed some from customers. I got to use Tera’s machine. She has the serger/coverstitch combo model.

I was hoping Tera would be able to take the class, too, but she had already signed up for a longarm quilting workshop this weekend. I had the pleasure of sitting next to and getting to know another friend of hers, though. It’s a small world here.

This class is billed as a “mystery make,” so students don’t know the project ahead of time. Everything was provided, down to the tiniest notions. Lunch was catered. We got chocolate delivered at 3 pm when our energy started to flag.

[The husband wondered if it was possible to have a sewing class without snacks and I said I had never heard of such a thing. Do men not take classes? Do they not eat while they work?]

These classes are designed to sell machines as well as teach. I don’t begrudge the store owner that one bit. She needs to make money and I also have a vested interest in having her be successful. April is National Serger Month (who knew?) and Bernina is offering some special deals on machines. I am tempted, but I haven’t decided. I am starting to push the limits of my current Juki domestic sergers. I don’t need the combo machine, though, as I am quite happy with my Janome coverstitch.

I’m very impressed with these Berninas—more so than any other brand I’ve seen, and I’ve had a lot of different sergers come through my classes in the past year. They command a premium, but not without reason. The difference between serging on my $300 Juki and serging on a Bernina is the difference between driving a Ford Escort and a BMW 7-series. And I love my Bernina Q20 for quilting.

The husband is no help either—this is the man who never met a tool he didn’t like. He said if I want one, I should get one. I would keep my Juki sergers to take to classes with me for demos.

We’ll see. I am not an impulse buyer. I also hadn’t anticipated becoming the local serging teacher. I thought I might do a couple of basic classes and that would be the end of it. Every time the teacher showed a new technique or pattern, the other students looked at me and said, “Can you do a class on that?” I will have my hands full keeping up with all the requests, and I am teaching at both stores now.

We go back today to finish our projects. Tomorrow is May Day and my May calendar is much less crowded than April’s. The focus really needs to turn to gardening.