Thank you so much!

Good choice!

I have probably only used four of the different stitches. It really isn't a necessary feature for me I have come to find. It seems exciting, but if I knew then what I know now I probably would have chosen a different machine. This one is amazing quality, but I don't use all of the features.

I have a Brother sewing machine as well. It's what I started off with and have had it for quite a few years. It is still in great condition. I don't think you could go wrong with a Brother or a Singer and you can find both at really good price points. I actually saw great deals on them at Walmart over the Holidays.

I’ve been sewing for many years and have several machines, 4 Berninas, a Janome, 4 Pfaffs, all good machines, but my favorites for quilt piecing are the Pfaffs- all of mine have the IDT, or dual feed feature that keeps the fabric feed even. For a young person today in the market for a machine for quilt piecing I would recommend the Pfaff Passport 3.0, I paid about $650. -$700. for mine in February when supply was really tight, you could probably get one a little cheaper now or when supply chains loosen up a bit. I absolutely love this machine for piecing and was actually surprised at how much I love it. It is my travel machine now. I love my Bernina’s for their great features like the Stitch Reguator and Free Hand System. I love a 5mm Bernina best for precision sewing. Hopefully this information is helpful for you.

Ill try to remember to look up in my book what the foot is called! I am loving this sewing machine so much!

If you have a local Bernina dealer near you I would really recommend going and seeing what the exact differences between both models are to see if it matters to you. If they just added a few more stitch options that may not matter to you. For me, I would probably take the better deal. I love a good savings. I got this sewing machine on sale and it came with a bunch of extra accessories. I likely would have gone with a cheaper machine if I didn't get all the extra presser feet. I don't personally feel you can go wrong with either choice. Bernina is really amazing quality.

It has been awhile since I went and looked at all the machines to make my decision. I feel like that model did still have the option to mov the needle, but I am not 100% sure. I do really love that perk though!

I bought the 480 a month ago. However, my previous Bernina was a 153 and you could move the needle even on that one.

It does pretty well if you go slow.

@@sewbeitquilts Not like the Juki! 😆

Awe man, Sorry I didn't see this comment early! I see you asked again. I apologize for missing it. You can order a custom one for your sewing machine. It is expensive though. There are different companies on amazon that do it.

@@sewbeitquilts Thanks Fallon☺️Yours looks so groovy. Will check it out and see what I can do. Loving your blogs xx

@@sewbeitquilts are you referring to the extension table? I thought it came with it?

I have quilted a king quilt on this machine. It wasn't easy, but it is possible.

So, the short answer is yes. If you look at some of my newer videos I sew a wallet and some purses on my Bernina. You can do it. There are some tricks to making it a little easier. Jean needles help, and you can raise your presser foot a little or buy a walking foot for the machine. The walking foot helps a lot, but it is really bulky and wide and make it really hard to keep your topstitching lines straight. I actually just bought an industrial Juki for this very reason. The one I purchased is meant to go through heavy fabrics and it makes sewing a breeze.

@@sewbeitquilts Thank you so much for the fast answer. Is it okay to ask which Juki you bought?

@@1Heimat Juki DU 1181 N

@@sewbeitquilts Thank you so much!!! Will look into it.

I have a video posting today at 11am central about the purchase, assembly, and who I purchased it from.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Naomi, it is a really great machine. It works great and I have no issues with it. However, I probably would have done better to purchase a really simple workhorse machine that just does a straight stitch. I never use any of the extra features. I think it honestly depends on what you need in a machine. I sew every day, but I only piece and straight stitch quilt.

@@sewbeitquilts I don't do major sewing projects but would like to start quilting more. Do you find the throat space adequate for this? I was debating whether I should go with a "quilters edition" or maybe that's overkill and not needed?

@@naomim5015 I think the throat space is enough room to easily maneuver a throw size quilt, but I struggle going much larger than that. It is doable, but it is frustrating at times. I will say I have done up to a king on it. So it is possible... it just takes a lot of patience to tightly roll the sides.

I purchased mine 2 years ago, mostly for the buttonhole quality. I used the embroidery features a bit, and loved the machine overall, but then last week my husband borrowed it and stitched with webbing and really strong nylon mesh. He broke a needle, and the machine stopped working. Will let you know of the repair bill, I cringe when I think about it. I think it is a bit "fussy" and not as easy to use. My workhorse is a Janome QC 1600, straight stitch.

@@nadiapapa Oh no! I finally got my 770 QEE last week. Love it but quite a learning curve going from a Brother to Bernina...

I do think the hook can be a pain to put back in. The bobbin hasn't given me trouble.

@@sewbeitquilts me too! I love the large Jumbo size and not having to change it so often! I don’t find the threading difficult at all, I was dreading it at first but it’s easy and you don’t have to do it so often! I just got the 590 and I love it! I also have this 480 as a back up and love it just as much!

It is noisy for a 480. Mine is very quiet. It needs the hook to be oiled then it will be quiet and smooth. These machines use a special very thin oil and it evaporates quickly. You remove the hook (and there is a simple trick to replacing it) oil the hook race, and most importantly, oil the felt pads inside the hook. I can do this in 30 seconds. They really need to be oiled every day before you use them. My dealer once commented that you really can't over-oil these machines - a bit of an exaggeration probably ! Most sewers are used to the plastic drop in bobbin cases which you don't oil.