BERNINA OF AMERICA ADDS THREE NEW EXPERTS TO WeAllSew

BERNINA of America, the premier manufacturer of sewing, embroidery and quilting machines, is pleased to introduce four new sewing Experts for its WeAllSew blog.  Pat Bravo, Vanessa Christenson and Mimi Goodwin join the community of other BERNINA Experts who supply project ideas, patterns and tips to fuel creativity and a love for sewing.  WeAllSew provides an online community for sewers and crafters of all ages and skill levels to be celebrated and inspired.
 
Pat Bravo sat down at her mother’s sewing machine for the first time at age 9 and felt a passion for sewing materialize.  At 13, she enrolled at a sewing school in her native Buenos Aires, learning everything about fabrics, dressmaking, and patterns.  After college, she moved to America with her husband, Walter, and became pregnant with their son.  During this time, she was so overwhelmed with new experiences that she had little energy for the things she once cherished.  All that changed for    Ms. Bravo when her husband bought her a sewing machine.  She fell in love with quilting, teaching herself everything she could about traditional quilting techniques.  Eventually, she began to work in art quilts, and when she had trouble finding the desired color variations in batiks, she started painting her own fabrics.  The adoring response from quilters prompted her and her husband to found Art Gallery Fabrics in Miami.  Ms. Bravo designed her first fabric collection, "Oriental,” and has not stopped designing fabrics for Art Gallery ever since.  She also recently launched a blog, Soulful Eyes.  Ms. Bravo creates and sews on a BERNINA 780 E (Embroidery), one of the new BERNINA 7 Series machines introduced late last year.
 
“I'm truly blessed to become part of the BERNINA family because they make the best quality machines you can sew with,” Pat Bravo said.  “Being a BERNINA owner allows me to create a world of beautiful quilting and sewing around me.  My projects always come out perfect with BERNINA, much faster and easier!”
 
For more information about Ms. Bravo and to read her blog, please visit www.patbravodesign.blogspot.com/.
 
Vanessa Christenson didn’t know how to use a sewing machine until she was in her mid-20s, married, and pregnant with her second child.  She gathered up enough nerve to ask a friend to teach her how to turn the machine on and how to sew a straight line.  Since that day, Ms. Christenson, who lives in Marion, Iowa, has spent more than a decade learning about sewing.  Today, she has hand embroidery and quilt patterns for sale, and she’s written a book about adding texture to simple designs to create a big impact.  She’s also debuted “Simply Color,” her fabric line with Moda Fabrics and is adding a second this summer, “Simple Style.”  She said she feels blessed to be part of the BERNINA family as one of the brand’s Experts.
 
“Using a BERNINA has helped me become a better sewer with the excellent machines they produce, and because of the support they give through the programs they have in place,” Vanessa Christenson said.
For more information about Ms. Christenson and to read her blog, please visit www.vanessachristenson.com/.

Mimi Goodwin started sewing at age 12, spending hours making Barbie clothes in the studio of her aunt, who was a seamstress.  Ms. Goodwin’s father noticed her passion and bought his daughter her first real sewing machine.  In the years that followed, she has been a teacher and has grown her blog from a personal diary to a full-time job.  In 2010, Ms. Goodwin debuted her first ready-to-wear collection.  She currently lives Los Angeles with her husband and children and is creating her own apparel pattern collection.
 
“I knew as a child I’d be sewing all my life,” Mimi Goodwin said.  “I’ve enjoyed a great share of success, and now, with this wonderful opportunity to work with BERNINA, I feel like the best is yet to come.”
 
For more information about Ms. Goodwin and to read her blog, please visit
www.mimigoodwin.blogspot.com.

WeAllSew.com offers a place for sewers, embroiderers and quilters to connect with blog contributors and sewing experts.  Readers will also find tutorials, easy step-by-step instructions, new product information and inspirational ideas, including ways to help those in need.

About BERNINA
Founded in Switzerland more than 100 years ago, BERNINA is the world’s premier manufacturer with a proven reputation for offering state-of-the-art sewing and embroidery systems, sergers and embroidery software. BERNINA’s leadership is marked by an impressive number of industry leaders, influencers and artisans who chose to partner with the company. BERNINA products are sold in the United States through a network of approximately 450 fully trained independent dealerships. In 2008, the company introduced the revolutionary BERNINA 830, a machine designed to change the home sewing industry. To learn more and to find a dealer, visit www.bernina.com or call (630)978-2500.