Bernina 540

Do you tell stories with a quilt, or express yourself through hand-crafted clothes, or make everything more beautiful with embroidery? The Bernina 540 offers power and precision for the serious sewer. With a work space of 8.5” to the right of the needle you will enjoy a grand sewing area for grand ideas. Quilts and large home décor projects can be tackled with ease. There’s also a slide-on freearm extension table that adds room and support around the needle. A selection of 5 Bernina presser feet come with the 540, giving you a wide range of sewing options. To keep these handy and organised, a magnetic accessory box is included.

The 540 offers a total of 1048 stitch patterns including 30 utility stitches, 300 decorative stitches, 14 buttonholes, 231 cross stitches, 44 quilting stitches and 5 alphabets. Stitches can be combined or edited, and saved in memory, and stitch settings can be changed while sewing. You can sew at up to 1000 stitches per minute, choose stitch length and width (the maximum stitch width of 9mm is ideal for creating decorative stitches), and change the needle position.

The Bernina Hook system keeps every stitch consistent and precise. It incorporates a jumbo bobbin that holds up to 70% more thread than standard bobbins, which means fewer stops and starts with your sewing. And since it is conveniently changed from the front, there’s no need to remove your project.

The 540 gives control at your fingertips on the large, intuitive colour touch screen, or via the multi-function knobs on the front of the machine. You can easily edit while you work with a simple tap of the screen, and the on-screen, there-when-you-need-it, Sewing Consultant helps you find the right settings.

This machine has so many helpful features The Bernina Free Hand System (FHS) capability is built in, with the knee lifter included in the accessory package.  The programmable foot control also gives more options. The automatic thread cutter is another useful function of the 540, cutting the thread and raising the needle in an easy one-button operation. The Adjustable foot pressure functionality adjusts for thick or thin fabric to eliminate skipped stitches. Adaptive Thread Tension ensures high quality stitching with any fabrics.

The 540 is also enabled for the Bernina Stitch Regulator (BRS) which brings amazing control and consistency to stitches in free-motion sewing and quilting, and an embroidery module, both of which can be purchased separately to expand your repertoire as your experience grows.

This machine will bring your creativity to life with many features that will help you create beautiful quilts or other dressmaking/craft projects.

Why buy a machine from us?

Exeter Sewing Machine Company is an independent, family-owned business based in the centre of Exeter, Devon which has been in business for over 70 years. We sell Brother, Janome, Bernina, Baby Lock and Husqvarna machines along with their accessories, with the full back-up and support you would expect from a local family business.

Our independence and experience mean we can provide an unbiased opinion and advice to help you choose the right machine for you. When the store is open we offer free machine demonstrations, meaning that you can see and even try the machines before making your decision.

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For full specification details and tutorial videos please see the  Bernina 540 page on the Bernina website

• 1048 stitch patterns (including alphabets)
• 30 utility stitches
• 300 decorative stitches
• 44 quilting stitches
• 31 cross-stitch programmes
• 14 buttonholes
• 5 alphabets
• Bernina hook
• Up to 1000 stitches per minute
• 9mm maximum stitch width
• Customise stitch length and width
• Extended free arm - 8.5" / 215mm  to right of needle
• Frontloading Jumbo Bobbin with 70% more thread
• Upper and bobbin thread monitor
• Bobbin winding while sewing
• Free arm with slide on extension tableFree Hand System (FHS) enabled (knee lift bar included)
• Adaptive thread tension
• Automatic thread cutter
• Start/stop button
• Button sew-on programme
• Pattern start/end function
• Semi-automatic needle threader
• Adjustable presser foot pressure
• Save and reuse stitches
• Variable sewing speed
• Sewing Consultant on-screen help
• Colour touch screen
• 12 LED lights
• USB interface
• Foot control with back-kick function
• Embroidery compatible (additional purchase necessary)
• Bernina Stitch Regulator (BSR) enabled (additional purchase necessary)

• Machine size (mm):  461 x 200 x 328
• Machine weight (kg): 11

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• Reverse-pattern foot #1C
• Overlock foot #2A
• Buttonhole foot with slide #3A
• Zipper foot #4
• Open toe embroidery foot #20C
• Slide-on free-arm extension table
• Knee lifter for Free-Hand System (FHS)
• 4 bobbins
• Selection of needles
• 2 foam pads
• 3 spool discs
• Seam ripper
• Height compensation tool
• Screwdriver
• Brush
• Lubricator
• Magnetic accessory box
• Power cable
• Foot control
• Soft cover with pocket

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Bernina Free Hand System (FHS)
With FHS you can raise or lower the presser foot while simultaneously lowering the feed dog without having to take your hands off the fabric, ideal for quilting

Programmable foot control
The foot control is programmable, allowing you to raise or lower the needle with a press of your heel.

Adaptive Thread Tension
The Bernina Adaptive Thread Tension system ensures the ideal thread tension as you sew, helping you to achieve perfect stitch quality on both sides of the fabric. After you set the thread tension for the thread and fabric, your machine continuously checks it as you sew, adjusting it unobtrusively and automatically whenever necessary, resulting in the finest sewing and embroidery quality, with no need to even press a button.

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