My New BERNINA 495 Liberty Edition Sewing Machine

The beautiful special edition Liberty Bernina 495

I have a new sewing machine, and it is one that I have been particularly excited to share with you.

It is the BERNINA 495 Liberty Edition, a beautiful special edition machine featuring Liberty's Velasco Meadow design. As Liberty fabrics have become such an important part of my sewing and of Vintage Sewing Box, it felt like a very special machine to have in my sewing room.

I have also filmed an unboxing video over on my YouTube channel, so if you would like to see the machine and everything that comes with it, you can watch that here:

Why I chose the BERNINA 495 Liberty Edition

You might be wondering why I decided to buy a new sewing machine after selling my previous, 570QE. I loved the 570QE but it was a little too fancy. I found the automatic presser foot lifter annoying to be honest, I wanted control over it myself. I also didn’t love the built in dual feed foot. I had heard that the smaller, 4 series Bernina machines were better for piecing and given that’s what I use a sewing machine for most of all, I had a gut feeling that this machine would be a better fit for me. This was much more about finding a machine that felt particularly connected to the things I love about sewing.

Liberty has been a part of my sewing for many years, and I use it regularly in my own projects and in the designs I create. I love the colours, the tiny floral designs and the sense of history that comes with Liberty fabrics.

So when I saw the Liberty Edition BERNINA, I was immediately drawn to it.

The Velasco Meadow design on the front of the machine is beautiful and, for me, makes it feel much more personal than an ordinary sewing machine. It fits so naturally into my sewing room, surrounded by fabrics, threads and quilts.

A sewing machine that feels very 'me'

I have always believed that our sewing spaces should be places that inspire us. The practical things are important, of course, but I also like to have things around me that I genuinely enjoy looking at. Sewing is such a creative and tactile hobby, and I think the surroundings we create for ourselves can be part of that experience. This machine feels very much at home amongst the things I love.

I particularly like the combination of the traditional Liberty floral design with a modern BERNINA machine. It brings together two things that are quite central to my own approach to sewing – beautiful fabrics and good-quality tools that allow you to make things carefully.

The Velasco print on the machine is actually raised, making this machine feel such high quality and very special.

What is the BERNINA 495 like?

Although the Liberty design was what initially caught my attention, the machine itself also has plenty to offer.

The BERNINA 495 is designed for both general sewing and quilting and includes features such as a colour touchscreen, automatic thread cutting, adjustable presser-foot pressure and the BERNINA Free Hand System.

It also has a useful range of quilting and decorative stitches and comes with a selection of presser feet and accessories.

As so much of my sewing involves patchwork and quilting, these are the things I am particularly looking forward to exploring.

I'm not planning to give you a full technical review of the machine just yet. I think it is much more useful to spend some time actually sewing with it first and then share what I think after I've had the opportunity to get to know it properly.

For now, this is very much a first look.

It comes with a fantastic collection of presser feet and accessories, housed in this cute, wardrobe style box!

I'm looking forward to using it

One of the things I love about getting a new sewing machine is the feeling of possibility that comes with it.

There are all those stitches and feet to try, and suddenly you start thinking about projects you could make that you hadn't considered before.

I'm particularly looking forward to experimenting with the decorative stitches and seeing how they might work with some of the patchwork and embroidery projects I make.

And, naturally, I have quite a collection of Liberty fabrics waiting to be used!

I think it will also be interesting to see how the 495 compares with the 570 QE after I've spent more time sewing on it.

The machine comes with this beautiful cover in the Velasco meadow print to match the machine itself.

The joy of beautiful sewing things

Perhaps one of the reasons I was so drawn to this machine is that, for me, sewing isn't simply about the finished item, I enjoy the whole process. Choosing fabrics, preparing the pieces, deciding on colours and threads, sitting down with a project and spending time making something by hand or by machine. The things we use while we're doing that can become part of the experience too. A beautiful piece of fabric can make you want to start a project. A favourite pair of scissors can make you enjoy cutting out. And, in this case, a sewing machine covered in Liberty flowers certainly makes me want to sit down and sew!

I'm very happy to have this one in my sewing room and I'm looking forward to discovering what I make with it.

The feed dogs are closer together on this machine, making piecing even easier.

Watch the unboxing

If you would like to see the BERNINA 495 Liberty Edition for yourself, I've filmed an unboxing video over on my YouTube channel.

You can watch it here:

BERNINA 495 Liberty Edition Unboxing

I'll be sharing more about the machine once I've had the chance to use it properly, so this is just the beginning.

Now I just need to decide what to sew first!