The Last Day of Bernina University 2010

Monday, July 12th, 5:00 p.m. ~ My classes are over and all I have left to do is go to the Closing Banquet. This is always a nice dinner, where I eat too much and usually still feel full in the morning.


Today I turned in all of my orders for the fun, new merchandise I have been checking out for the last few days. It is going to be like Christmas at the store for the next few weeks.

There are a couple of new things I want to let everyone know about. I will try to post these things in the email as well.

• OESD is bringing back the Holiday Promotion! This means that in September, October and November when you buy a certain amount (to be determined) of OESD product, you will receive a free holiday design pack. The ladies and I will be stitching out the new designs as soon as I get back.



• The new 3 Series machines will be introduced in August. When you test drive a 3 Series machine, you will be registered to win a 3 Series BMW. Pretty cool, isn't it?



• In the next few months there will be a lot of great opportunities to get a great deal on a new machine. Come in and see me if there is something you are interested in so I can get you the best possible deal

Today I got to sew on a the B380. It is going to replace the 240 in the current line. I had a great time making a little purse. Actually, I had so much fun that I am going to use all of the techniques I learned today and incorporate them into all of the clubs for the fall. We are always given a huge supply list for the hands-on classes that we take here. Today's class was the first time that I actually brought everything I needed for the project. Actually, the lady beside me had to borrow all of my stuff. I was happy to be the one that helped for a change.

Here is a picture of the little purse I made. It has a lot of fun techniques. I wouldn't have chosen the fabrics they did, but it was intended for a Next Gen (young) sewer, not a frumpy old lady like me.

I am actually getting a little homesick. I am ready to get home, see the hubby, pet the dog and get back to the store.

I will be back at the store on Thursday, even though I have it listed as "closed" on that day. I will probably just be in and out and reading my mail.

I hope to see everyone at the store soon.

The Second Day of Classes at BU

Sunday, July 11th, 7:30 p.m. ~ I'm back in my room for the night and I have had a killer backache today. I am not used to sitting so much and the chairs are not comfortable. A lot of other people are having the same problem.

Instead of telling you about my boring classes, I am going to focus on some of the fun things that I have seen while walking around the Merchant Mall and Concept Store.

First, I got a picture of the display with the new 3 Series machines. These machines will be replacing the activa line and are being marketed for the new sewer. Aren't the machines pretty? I get to sew on one tomorrow.

The next picture is what Bernina would like my notions display to look like, except for the Brewer sign.

I thought about saying this next picture was of the back of my head, but my hair still hasn't recovered from the face soap yet. It is actually a picture of Nina McVeigh sitting in front of a new 635 LE machine. Too bad you can't see her jacket. It is quite the piece of work with an enormous amount of cutwork. It looks very nice. I haven't really mentioned this new machine yet. I haven't had my hands on it yet.

The lady is the next picture is actually quite lovely. I should have let her know before I took the picture so she could smile. I was admiring her jacket. It is a new pattern from Indigo Junction and it just so happened that I ordered it right before I left for my trip. The embellishment around the collar and in the pocket has a raw edge. I think I would like to use the Bernina binding attachment and add a skinny binding to it. Just one more thing on my to-do list.

My last stop for the day was to go to the BU store and buy some Bernina branded merchandise for Judy and Gretchen. I actually bought a little goody for myself that I might use tomorrow. Here is a picture of the BU store as I was walking down the steps.

The last thing I will leave you with today are a few random shops that I took. Sorry the quality isn't great. The lighting was terrible. Enjoy.

The Roundtable Discussion

Saturday, July 10th, 8:00 p.m. ~ I'm finally back in my room for the evening. It was a pretty interesting day. As you know from my last post that I went to a Roundtable Discussion with Mr. Ueltschi, the owner of the company. Here are a few things I learned, and no, I didn't keep my mouth shut:

The current 8 Series machines are going to be in the line for at least the next two years. What does this mean to consumers? Feel free to buy an 830 now. They have been out for a while and everyone is feeling very good about the machines and know how to use them properly. The 830 is my favorite Bernina model ever made. :)


Bernina dealers who also carry two other popular sewing machines are becoming increasingly concerned about the financial health of the main company (that has recently changed ownership) and the quality of the machines that are being produced. This actually really disturbs me. First, being in the sewing industry, I never want to see a good competitor go by the wayside. The more companies that are promoting sewing and quilting, the better for everyone that makes a living in the sewing industry. Competition gives consumers more choices and more competition leads to more innovation. Second, I would be devasted as a Bernina owner if I were worried about the future of the Bernina company. Fortuanately for Bernina owners, the Swiss company is sound, profitable and very liquid (cash rich). Also, I think that the company is in very good hands as far as management is concerned. I am extremely impressed with the people I have met from Switzerland and Martin Farve, the President of Bernina of America.


In 2010, Bernina should outsell the Pfaff machines in Germany. That is an interesting concept since Germany is the mother country of the Pfaff machine.


Janome has a machine with a wide throat, similar to the 8 Series, that sells for $3,000. This machine, I am told by a Janome dealer, does not have the features or the stitch quality of the 8 Series machines but it is selling well against the Bernina 820. We were told that even if Bernina wanted to "strip down" all of the features of the 820 and make it a straight stitch-only machine, the production savings would only amount to about 10%. HP says that the "platform" of the machine is what makes it so expensive. This is also what makes the stitch quality so exceptional. I guess what I am saying is the Janome machine is considerably less expensive, but you get what you pay for. I would rather drive an old car and sew on a new Bernina.

Bernina is considered to be a "premium brand" and will not sacrifice quality to sell more units. You can buy a $10,000 Chevy, but you can't buy a $10,000 Porsche.


The 3 Series machines, which were introduced to us at BU, but to Europe in February, are selling EXTREMELY well. I am glad to hear that and I hope those same sales continue in the US. I will get a chance to sew on the 3 Series machines when I am here and I will be ordering the ones for the store before I leave.


Some of the things that I am taking away from today's meeting:

• I need to find a way to make non-Bernina owners feel more welcome in my store.
• I need to make people more excited to shop in the store and see what new products we have or what new projects we are working on. (This is part of the reason I started the blog.)
• I need for more people to find out about the store. (Again, the blog.)
• I need to work 25 hours a day/8 days a week. (Blog, blog, blog)
• I need to tidy up around the store and maybe buy Gretchen some decent shelves to display the quilting fabric. (I always feel that way when I come back from BU.)

Now, I am just rambling, so I think I will sleep on this. Maybe tomorrow will bring me a new revelation. Any suggestions are welcome.

The first day of classes at BU

Saturday, 8:00 a.m. ~ I had to get up early this morning and get to my first class. I slept like a baby last night. I am staying in this beautiful condo, thanks to my very generous parents. They have a time-share that I am using. Anyway, I don't know how much people are paying to stay in this condo complex, but I have all of the luxuries from home except, dog hair, dirty laundry and shampoo. Yes, I didn't have shampoo this morning. I washed my hair with Estee Lauder Face Wash. Needless to say, my hair looks dreadful! I'm glad I only know about 200 people here. I will be stopping at the Winn Dixie this evening.

Saturday, 1:15 a.m. ~ What a morning! I had a smaller meeting with all of the people in my district this morning. It appears that either some people didn't come to BU or they didn't come to the meeting. I thought the meeting was mandatory, maybe not. After my meeting I was able to explore the event a little better. I found the area where the vendors are located. Normally, Bernina has vendors coming in that I can buy from. This year the vendors are showing their new ideas, but I have to order it all from Brewer. Not a big deal but I won't be able to bring things home.

First, I talked to the folks from Accu-quilt. I had to complain a little bit because I have ruined two of my dies. I was very discouraged about this product and its workmanship. The representatives from Accu-quilt assured me that it is not common for the dies to become damaged and they are sending me a pre-labeled box to send back anything that I have ruined and they will replace it for me. I am excited to hear that Accu-quilt will be working with quilt designers to make quilted projects that work with embroidery and the pre-cut shapes from the Go! systems. The first project they have is called "Be Dazzled" by Sarah Vedeler. It is designed to be a block of the month, but I am happy to pay for the whole package just to get the 49 embroidery designs. Here is a picture from the BU booth of the new Sarah Vedeler quilt. Sorry that I couldn't take a picture form the front but it was very crowded.. The guy in the green shirt is going to get me the new dies.

Next, I talked to the lady who developed Paintstiks. She has a new book out with some great new products. If you don't know what Paintstiks are, they are acrylic paint in a solid form. I tried to use thse last fall without a lot of success. I got a little one-on-one class and I think I can do it now. I will order the book and have Gretchen teach a little project in the fall. She will do a better job, as she already knows how to stencil. I really think I should hire one of her artsy daughters. Here is the picture I took from the booth. I also took a picture of her stencils.

As I was walking around I ran into Mr. HP Ueltschi (the owner of the company). Do you remember that he came to Pittsburgh and visited two local dealers but did not come to my store? I really called him on the carpet about it and I happened to do it in front of a few people. I told HP that my customers and I felt that nobody cared about my store because I don't sell a lot of machines. HP apologized and said he will come to my store another time. He is a bit of a politician. Anyway, Simon Haskins (Jenny Haskins' son) heard me giving HP the word and Simon gave me a big thumbs up for standing up for myself and my customers.

I met Simon in San Diego about 4 years ago. I doubt if he remembered me but he pretended to have. Look for Jenny Haskins to come out with some new projects for kids soon because Simon is a dad now. He has a 2 year old son, Harvey. He said his "mum" has 3 grandchildren now and is "over the moon". Simon is the one that designed Aquamarine Ambience. Do you remember that book? I told him we sold a lot of his books. Here is a picture of Simon and Margaret, a Certified Jenny Haskins teacher.

This afternoon I am taking a class on software sales and later a roundtable discussion with HP. Since I had my talk with HP, I think I will just sit and listen. Yeah, right.

Arriving in Florida

Hi Everyone,

This is the first entry in my new blog. I actually wrote all of the things that I have been doing and was going to post them to my website, but I decided to set up an actual blog. The posting times will be a little messed up as I am setting this blog up a little after the fact. Hey, you have to start somewhere.

Friday, 1:30 p.m. ~ I just arrived safe and sound at the Grand Cyrus Hyatt in Orlando. I have been up since 4 p.m. and I am very tired. My two flights to get here where pretty uneventful which is always nice and I didn't have very long to wait for the rental car. The weather is typical of Florida which is to say that it is very hot and humid.

Bernina University was in this hotel three years ago so I already know my way around a little bit. The merchant mall isn't in the same place as before and it is much smaller than normal. I think that might be because of the current business environment. It seems that some people have decided to stay away from BU this year. There seems to be a small turnout of dealers and merchants alike. I could be wrong. I will still find plenty to do and a lot of people to talk to.

I hardly have any time to look around because I have a Dealer Meeting a 2 p.m. This is the big event of BU. I will get to find out all of the new things that are coming out for the remainder of the year. Off to my meeting....

Friday, 7:00 p.m. ~ I am finally in my room and able to put my feet up. I shouldn't say it is a room, it is actually a condo. I need blueprints to find my way around. I have a full kitchen, two bedrooms, two baths and a living room. I feel extremely guilty to be using these big accommodations by myself.

My Dealer Meeting was actually pretty good. It was only about 3 1/2 hours and it was pretty fast paced. I got a lot of information about what to expect for the next 6 months from Bernina. The was supposed to go to a Welcome Reception tonight, but I was too tired, so I gave my ticket to someone else. I should sleep well tonight.