BERNINA Introduces the BERNINA 350 Special Edition With Tula Pink and Ricky Tims Faceplate Designs

AURORA, IL--(Marketwired - Mar 18, 2015) - BERNINA of America, the premier manufacturer of sewing, embroidery and quilting machines, is pleased to introduce the 2015 BERNINA 350 Special Edition (B 350 SE) that features two new faceplate designs created by sewing celebrities Tula Pink and Ricky Tims. Their designs were selected by BERNINA of America Facebook fans last year based on the number of votes received during BERNINA's Faceplate Face-off contest. Nearly 52,000 votes were cast during the contest. The new B 350 SE machines are available in limited quantity at BERNINA Dealers nationwide. MSRP is $1,899.

"The faceplate designs were created by the industry's finest talent for one of the best entry-level BERNINA machines available," said Paul Ashworth, President of BERNINA of America. "However, they're available in limited supply, so we urge anyone interested to visit their BERNINA Dealer right away."

The faceplate design by Tula Pink consists of cascading peony flowers in shades of pink on a striking graphite lattice background. Ricky Tims' faceplate design displays his signature feather pattern dipped in shades of hand-dyed jewel tones. Both machines also feature the signature logo of their designer.

The B 350 SE is equipped with eight full shank presser feet, a slide-on extension table to quickly increase the work area, and the BERNINA Free Hand System (FHS), which is a knee-operated lever that raises the presser foot, lowers the feed dogs and releases the thread tension at the same time. It also comes with the BERNINA Walking Foot #50 and the BERNINA Free-motion Quilting Foot #29C.

Other features include 191 total stitch patterns, a maximum sewing speed up to 900 stitches per minute, and a stitch width up to 5.5 mm. The B 350 SE also has a direct-selection function with a bright LCD screen that allows sewists to switch quickly between 18 utility stitches and 63 decorative stitches, including 11 quilting stitches. Additionally, a high-precision buttonhole function with two programmed buttonhole styles gives users the ability to sew buttonholes of the exact same length every time. There's also enough memory space to permanently store up to 30 stitch-pattern combinations as well as a bright LED sewing light. For more information, visit www.bernina.com/3series.

Tula Pink graduated from Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. She worked as an exhibit designer for museums in Los Angeles and then became involved in the music industry. She later moved east to focus on fabric design and sewing, where she designed her first collection in her living room. Today, Tula works for Free Spirit Fabrics.

Ricky Tims is recognized in the international world of quilting as a best-selling author, enthusiastic and encouraging teacher, award-winning quilter, fabric designer, and a talented and spellbinding speaker. His innovative and entertaining presentations feature live music and humor combined with scholarly insights and wisdom. His quilts have been displayed worldwide and are highly regarded as excellent examples of contemporary quilts with traditional appeal.

About BERNINA
Founded in Switzerland more than 100 years ago, BERNINA is the world's premier manufacturer with a proven reputation for offering quality state-of-the-art sewing, quilting and embroidery machines, overlockers/sergers, and embroidery software. BERNINA's leadership is marked by an impressive number of ambassadors, industry leaders, influencers and bloggers, who chose to partner with the company. BERNINA products are sold in the United States through a network of over 400 fully trained independent dealerships that also offer support and education. Select BERNINA and bernette machines, and BERNINA software can also be purchased through BERNINA's eCommerce site, shop.bernina.com. BERNINA products are designed for beginning to advanced sewists and priced to meet a variety of budgets, with new products being introduced every year. You can follow BERNINA on Facebook: www.facebook.com/berninausa, Instagram: @BERNINAUSA, and Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/WeAllSew, and read BERNINA's WeAllSew blog at www.weallsew.com. To learn more about BERNINA and to find a Dealer, visit www.bernina.com or call (630)978-2500.