Bernina Of America history

In 1893, Karl Friedrich Gegauf invents the hemstitch sewing machine.

When a fire destroyed the convent in 1895, a prototype of the hemstitch machine was saved and new, more spacious workshops were established in a barn.

By 1900, more than 70 people were employed, and the hemstitch sewing machine was being sold abroad.

Adding to the hardship, Georg Gegauf died in an accident in 1917.

Karl Friedrich persevered on his own, establishing new workshops in the so-called "Neue Schloss," while his late brother's family oversaw operations in the "Gruene Haus." Karl Friedrich's son Fritz received a patent for a new hemstitch machine in 1919.

The demand for hemstitch machines dropped off, however, towards the end of the 1920's, artificial silk, which was unsuitable for hemstitching had begun its triumphal progress.

But a new artificial silk factory, started in 1923 on the site of the Feldbach Convent, threatened the prosperity of the Gegauf business, since silk was ill suited for hemstitching.

Karl Friedrich's death in December 1926, however, prevented him from ever seeing an operating fitz machine.

1927: The Gegauf sons begin providing "fitz" machines to the local silk factory.

After the death of Karl Friedrich Gegauf in 1928, his two sons Fritz and Gustav Gegauf took over their father’s factory.

A worldwide economic crisis began in October 1929, and, with too little work to do, the workshop was cut back to 35 employees.

In 1932, Model 105 became the first home sewing machine to be made in Switzerland.

Model 117 in 1938 was the first Zig-Zag machine.

After 1944, however, when production of the first electric FREE-arm ZigZag sewing machine in the world had commenced at Steckborn, development went ahead.

The first portable zigzag sewing machine appears in 1945.

Gustav Gegauf left the company in 1947.

In 1954, the company markets the first machine with a patented clip-on presser foot and a semi-automatic buttonhole sewing function.

Model 730, which was launched in 1963, was the successor to Model 530.

She began taking on responsibilities at the company under her father's guidance when Fritz's son died in 1965.

Bernina of America was established in Chicago in 1969.

Odette Ueltschi-Gegauf assumed primary control and became president in 1979.

Model 930, which came out in 1982, was able to create multi-motion stretch stitches and decorative patterns.

1986 saw the introduction of computers to sewing machine technology, and in the mid-80s BERNINA produced the 1130, the first computerized sewing machine with fully automatic one-step buttonholing and stitch pattern memory.

In 1988 Hanspeter Ueltschi assumed the leadership role after his mother retired.

Model 1230, which appeared in 1989, had expanded memory capabilities that made it more versatile than its predecessor.

A factory was established in Thailand in 1990 for the manufacture of sewing machine parts, the Bernina 950 semi-industrial machine, and, later, the simplified "classic" Model 1008.

Odette Ueltschi-Gegauf died in 1992.

Unfortunately, results for 1993 fell short of that goal as revenues fell 3 percent from the previous year.

The downward trend continued in 1994, due in part to the poor showing of the Swiss franc in exchange markets.

"Bernina Stellt Abbau von bis zu 200 Arbeitsplätzen in Aussicht," AP Worldstream, June 7, 1995.

1998 saw the first true sewing computer – the Artista 180.

Another step toward computerized sewing freedom was taken in 2000 when the Bernina "Magic Box" hit the market.

In 2002 BERNINA introduced the world’s first sewing computer with a Microsoft Windows operating system.

In 2004, BERNINA establishes another first: The company markets the BERNINA Stitch Regulator (BSR) for uniform stitch lengths in free-motion stitching.

In 2008, the company introduced the revolutionary BERNINA 830, a machine designed to change the home sewing industry.

CutWork was awarded the Swiss Technology Award in 2009.

In 2011 a new logo was introduced, and along with it the 5 Series (BERNINA 530, 550 QE and 580).

In 2012 the new BERNINA "9" bobbin(huge) was introduced and is now found in both the 7 series 5 series & 4 series machines.