Bernina 121 Instruction Manual

Whenever Something does not 8eem to be quite

ckeor, please ask 8wpgivier8 of uour `maehinie for

ettplcunahi,on.

In pourtieulour cases, we our8eive8 win give Uove

cmtl further informartion uove may need.

When writing io ue, plea8e always State the narme

of uour 8`urpplher cmd give us the 8erial rvumber of

the machine. You wth find th48 rvumber at the

ba,ck of the frcune, above the motor casing.

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Instructions

4&p operating the

BERIV]rvA PORTABI.I

Model 121

FR. GEGAUF LIMITED

Bernina Sewing Machine Factory

STECKBORN

Switzerland

INDEX OF CONTENTS

Removing and replacing the machine in the carrying

Case................

Denomination of parts ..........

Cleaning and oiling the machine .......

Electric drive ..............

Oiling the motor .............

Illumination..............

Suitable needle and thread .........

Comparative table of needles and threads ....

Left-hand and right-hand twisted cotton ....

Removal of bobbin case ..........

Bobbin winding .............

Inserting bobbin in case, and threading .....

Inserting bobbin case in rotary hook ......

Setting the needle ............

Threading the spool thread .........

Bringing up the bobbin thread ........

Thread tension scale ............

Tension of top and bottom threads .......

Fitting the sewing table ..........

Sewing....-...........

Sewing forwards and backwards and setting length

of stitch ...............

Removing work from machine ........

Darning................

Darning stockings ...........

Darning with wool ............

Hemmer...............

Lap hemmer (feller) ...........

Edger with quilter guide ..........

Useful hints for remedying troubles ......

List of accessories

Inside back cover

Page

Direl;tions

fop use of the

BERrv[IVA PORTABI.I:

for plain sewing

Model 121

FR. GEGAUF LTD.

Bernina Sewing Machine Factory

STECKBORN

Switzerland

Fig. 1

Removing and replacing lhe maclline in lhe

cai.ying case

To take the machine out Of its case, place the case up-

right and open it as shown in the illustration above.

Hold the machine under the upper arm and lift it out

of the case. Hold it the same way when replacing it into

the case. When packing up the machine after use, make

sure that the handwheel is on your right.

2

3

Cleaning the machine

During sewing, remnants of thread will collect, especially

arou.nd the rotary hook, and may hinder the smooth

running of the machine. The frequent removal of such

remnants is therefore essential. Take off the throat plate

from time to time and remove the fluff that has gathered

below it.

The removal of the throat plate is very simple, for there

are no screws to slacken. Just open the hinged cover

in front of the open arm and push the throat plate up

with a finger of the left hand.

Oiling lhe machine

The points that need oiling are shown in the picture on

the opposite page. Oil the machine frequently, but not

too heavily. A few drops of oil are sufficient to keep

the machine running smoothly. If too much oil is applied,

the excess will drain off unused and may stain the

fatoric. AlwGbus oil the rna;chile I)efoi.e use z\nd not

after it.

Use clear sewing machine oil only, free of resin and

acid. If oil of inferioi. quality is employed, it may get

sticky when it dries and the machine will run hard.

Careful cund correct oiling wi,ll insure ecbsu rurming cund

prevent unnece88ary wean. of the pan.ts.

It should particularly be noted that the machine only

should regularly be oiled, bwt 7z,ot tfae 77®oto7.. Special

instructions for oiling the motor will be found in a

next chapter.

4

The most vital and delicate

part of the sewing machine is

the rotary hook. Special atten-

tion should be given it. Take

care to frequently lubricate its

L`ace with a few drops of oil at

the point indicated in Fig. 3a.

If the sewing machine has

been standing in a cold i`oom,

it should be opened and

brought in a warm room about

an hour before use so that it

can warm up to room tempei`ature and the oil in the

bearings will again become fluid.

5

Fig. 4

The elec.ric drive

The motor is protected by a casing at the back of the

frame. A small plate 1 is fixed on the casing, specifying

the,voltage and the power in watts. The voltage of the

motor must correspond with that of the lighting mains,

which can be ascertained by inspecting the particulars

quoted on the electricity meter or a lamp (but not on

plugs and wall-sockets). If the machine is used away

from home, always check the mains voltage with that

of the motor be/o?.e starting to work. If they do not`

correspond, a transformer is necessary.

When the motor is connected with the mains by flex 2,

slight pressure on the knee control will start the rna- .J

chime. The more the knee control is pressed to the right,

the faster the machine will run. Should the machine

fail to start on account of heavy material or thick seams,

give the handwheel a slight turn towards you.

Special lnslruclion loi Oiling the Moloi

1. Oiling the motor too faeowc7" will lead to trouble.

2. When the speed of the machine has diminished con-

siderably, it is generally due to excessive oiling of

the motor.

3. In every new machine the motor is ready-oiled and

should 7t.ot be lubricated again during the first year.

4. After the first year, the motor should be oiled o72ce

onlu everu sbu mouths 4f used dally. Do nch introchce

more than 4-5 drops of oil at the two lubrication

points marked in red, inside the motor casing. If the

machine is used o7ize/ o7tce c® oueefo, tfoe 77toto?. does 7tot

need oiling more t,ham `onee a Weal..

5. If the motor is insufficiently lubricated, an excessive

noise will be noticed.

6. To oil the motor, take off the casing in which same

is protected. For this purpose remove the three

screws A (Fig. 4) and introduce 4 or 5 drops of clear

sewing machine oil into the two bearings at the points

marked in 7`ed.

7. Make cobso!"tezey 8tt7.e that 7t,o oil is applied to any

other part of the motor.

8. These instructions for oiling apply to the motor only.

IIIuminalion

The sew-light is built into the special face plate. The

light is switched on and off by pressing on button 3.

The change of the bulb is made as usual. To take off

the bulb, screw it anticlockwise; to insert it, screw it

clockwise.

6

7

Suilable Needle and Thread

For the portable machine model 121 use system 130

needles only. To obtain the best result of sewing, use

first class needles and top-quality thread.

First select the thread to suit the fabric, then the needle

to suit the thread, according to the table below. The

best test of suitability is to place the thread in the

groove of the needle. If the thread fills the groove out

and can be pulled backwai.ds and reverse in it without

obstruction, the needle is of correct size.

For sewing, needles of sizes 8, 9 and 10 (80, 90 and 100)

are usually employed, while numbers 7 and 8 (70 and

80) are used for darning.

Comparalive Table of Needle and Thread

Suilable Thread for Sewing and Darning

For sewing: Nos. 50 to 80, 3-and 6-ply, unglazed.

For darning: Nos. 60 to 100, 2-ply.

Sewing and darning threads, and needles, are best

bought from the Bernina dealer. He will sell you goods

only that are suitable for. the machine and with which

you will be able to work satisfactorily.

•,`` .``--`..-`-. . \

Lefl-hand and righl.hand lwisled collon

For dai.ming, use zLs ton threzLd left-h,cund twisted cottoi±

orily. The bottom. thread may be right-hand or left-hand

twisted. To find out which way the cotton is twisted,

hold a piece of it by the thumb and forefinger of both

hands and roll it towards you with your right thumb,

as shown in Fig. 5. Left-hand twisted cotton will twist

tighter than ever, while right-hand twisted cotton will

untwist.

Removal of Bobbin Case and Bobbin

Turn the flywheel by

hand towards you until

the take-up lever is

approximately at its

highest position. With

the forefinger of the

left hand, open the

hinged latch 1 ( Fig. 6 ) ,

hold it between the

thumb and forefinger

and draw the bobbin

case with bobbin out.

Let go off the latch

and the bobbin will be

released and drop out

of the case.

8

9

can be desengaged by pressing on the small round knob

7, where there is the white dot. By pressure on the knee

control, the bobbin winder will start. It is advisable not

to fill the bobbin right to the edge.

When bobbin winding is required, the top thread is in

most cases already threaded, and the spool is on pin 1.

In such a case the spool is temporarily placed, without

removing the top thi.ead fi.om the guide-eyelet 3, on

pin 8, located on the motor casing. The spool pin 1

can now be used to accommodate the other spool, and

the thread to be wound on the bobbin is likewise led

thi.ough the guide eyelet 3.

After bobbin winding, bi.ing knob 7 in its original

position.

The Bobbin Winding

Place the thread spool on pin 1.

Lower thread guide arm 2 in di-

rection of art.ow. Now lead the

thread coming from the spool

through the rear guide-eyelet 3

and back, below the spool
bracket, under the hook 12 (Fig.

7a), then up in the tension 13

and from there down on the

bobbin 6.

Same is slipped on the motor

spindle in such a way that the

drive-pin of the motor. spindle fits into the slit in the

bobbin.

In order to avoid that the machine is 1.unning un-

necessarily whilst winding the bobbin, the mechanism

10

Inseiling Bobbin in Case, and Threading

lhe Bobbin Thread

When placing the bobbin in the case, take care that

when the thread is drawn off the bobbin, the latter

turns in the direction

of the arrow. After

having inserted the

bobbin, draw the

thread through the

slit 1, then under the

tension spring 2, and

let it come out at the

forked end 3 of the

tension spring. The

tension spring is se-

cured to the bobbin

case by the screw 5;

the tension is regu-

lated by the screw 4.

11

To replace lhe Bobbln Case in lhe Rolary Hook

The bobbin case should be insei.ted when the take-up

lever is approximately at its highest position. As when

removing the bobbin case (see Fig. 6), hold it by the

hinged latch 1 between the forefinger and thumb of the

left hand in such a way that the opening in the bobbin

case is at the top. Now place the case on the stem of

the bobbin case holder and push it in, until it will touch

the bottom. Now let go off the hinged latch, and make

sure that the bobbin case is firmly locked and can no

more drop out.

Selling lhe Needle

Use system 130 needles only for the poi.table machine

model 121. Bent needles or needles with blunt points

should not be used. Turn the handwheel towards you

until the needle bar is at its highest point. Now hold

the needle between the thumb and forefinger of the

left hand with the long groove facing to the 7.6gfac.

Slacken the needle clamp screw by turning it anti-

clockwise, insert the needle, and push it upwards as far

as it will go. Now retighten the needle clamp screw by

turning it clockwise. It is important to make sure that

the needle is pushed right up and is fii.mly held by the

needle clamp screw.

Threading lhe Spool Thread

Lead the thread coming from the spool 1 through the

thread guide eyelets 2, 3 and 4, down to the right of and

between the tread tension discs located in the tension

box 5, up into the thread regulator spring 6, back undei.

the thread guide 7, up through the thread guard 8 to

the hole 9 in the take-up lever, down again through the

thread guai.d 8 and behind pin 10, then through the

needle holder eyelet 11 and from there through the eye

of the needle from right to left.

Threading the Spool Thread

12

13

Brihgihg up lhe Bobbin Thread

Hold the needle thread (top thread) slightly between

the thumb and forefinger of the left hand and at the

same time turn the flywheel with the right hand (one

turn of the wheel) until the take-up lever is about at

its highest point. Now pull slightly the top thread and

the bobbin thread will come up. Place top and bottom

threads under the presser foot and draw them to the

rear under slight tension.

Fig.10

Th.Cad Tension Scale

The thread tension box is provided with a scale gradua-

ted from 1 to 3. This graduated scale enables the ope-

rator to reset at any time the thread tension that was

ascertained by trial as the most convenient for sewing

or darning. When the pointer is at 1, the tension is loose

and is suitable for darning. With the pointer at 2 the

tension is firmer and, in most cases, correct for sewing.

Tension ol Top and Bollom Threads

The tension of the bottom thread should Jalways be loo-

ser than that of the top or spool thread; it must be

possible to draw the bottom thread out of the bobbin

case under slight and even tension. The three diagrams

a, b and c show the results of right and wrong thread

tension.

The top and bottom thread

tensions are both correct;
looping takes place in the

middle of the two pieces of

material.

The tension of the top thread

is too tight. The looping is

visible on the top sui.face of

the work.

The tension of the top thread

is too loose. The looping is

I I I_ I

As a rule, the tension of the bobbin thread should not
be altered. To adjust the stitch it is usually sufficient

visible on the under side of

the material.

to reset the top thread tension. In general, the stitch

is nicer when the bobbin thread is one number finer

than the top thread. The stitch should not be too short;

such stitches damage the material.

14

15

Fig. 12

Filling the Sewing Table

The sewing table is secured by a bolt to the back wall

of the carrying case. To release the table, turn said

bolt to the right and the table can be lifted out.

When sliding the sewing table on the open arm, take

care that the locking lever 1 is turned to the left.

To secure the sewing table firmly to the open arm,

turn the lever 1 over to the right and let then down the

table legs 2.

The presser foot should not be lowered unless there is

material underneath it. After use of the machine, a

piece of sewing material should always be placed un-

der the presser foot so that the latter will no be da-
maged. Furthermore, the top thread should be removed

from the needle when you have finished using the

machine.

Fig. 13

The Sewing

For sewing, set the machine as follows:

1. Set sewing table in position.

2. Turn feed-dog lowering lever 1 over to the left.

3. Lower stitch regulator lever 2 to bottom position.

4. Bring take-up lever 4 approximately to its highest

position.

5. Adjust top thread tension (pointer at about 2, as per

Fig.10).

6. Place top and bottom threads behind presser foot.

Hold both threads between the thumb and forefinger

of the left hand while sewing the first stitches.

The handwheel should always be turned in the direction

of the arrow, viz., towards the operator.

16

17

Sewing forward and in reverse and SeMing

Lehglh of Slilch

According to the position of the stitch regulator lever

2 (Fig.13), the machine will sew forwards or back-

wards and make long or short stitches. For forward

sewing move downwards lever 2, so that the ze?.a Z€7.e

of the stitch regulator scale will be t47.der the 8t.gr7i o/

demc".co}tt.o7t at the right-hand side of the scale. For

backward sewing move upwards lever 2, so that the

zero line is above 8abd 84gn of clemai.cation. The more

the lever 2 is moved upwards or downwards, the longer

the stich will be.

To ensure that forward and backward stitches are of

the same length, use the button 3 (Fig.13), by which

the upward and downward movement of lever 2 can

be limited. To shorten the movement, screw the button

3 inward. To lengthen it, scl.ew said button outwards.

Removal of Work lrom lhe Machine

Place take-up lever 4 (Fig.13) approximately to its

highest position. Now raise the pressei. foot, thus

slackening the top thread tension; the work can now

easily be removed from the machine; in such a way

there is no need to pull the top thread first. Take par-

ticular care to take off the work from the presser foot

to €he ?.ec». o7t!gr, as Otherwise the needle will bend and

cause then faulty stitches and thread breakages.

Darning

Whenresettingthemachinefordai.ming,proceedasfollows:

1. Loose top thread tension.

2. Screw darning foot on.

3. Lower feed dog by tut.ming lever 1 (Fig.13) over to

the right.

4. Set, stitch regulator lever 2 (Fig.13) to zero so that

the lowel.ed feed dog will not be set in motion with-

out need.

With the Bernina Portable, darning can be done with

or without the sewing table in position, according to

the nature of the fabric to be mended.

Darning underclolhes, household lirlen, elc.

Darning underclothes or linen

is child's play on the Ber-

nina, thanks to the patented

hopper darning foot.

Begi.n to stretch threads from

side to side, as shown in

Fig.a. Make these thread

rows parallel and as closeas

possible. Do not let them go

too far beyond the borderof

the damaged area, but only

as far as it will be necess-

ary to give them a firm hold.

It is advisable to make these

thread rows of different

length, so as to prevent the

material from tearing at the

limit of the darn.

Then, begin to cover the side-

to-side thread rows from

front to back and in reverse.

Sew the first covering seams

a little beyond the limit of

the side-to-side thread rows

(Fig.b), so as to form a

regular and firm darn. Make

these covering seams parallel

and as close as possible.

Now fill out the interme-

diate spaces in the darn with

a few more covering runs,

which should not be made,

however, beyond the border

of the original hole (Fig.c).

For darning, use as top

Fig.14 ton only (see Fig.5).

thl.ead left-hand twisted cot-

18

19

Fig. 15

Da-ming Stockings

Darning stockings with the patented Bernina darning

apparatus is particulary easy and convenient.

Lay the complete darning apparatus on the open arm

and introduce the small dowel at the end of the shank

into the hole 3 in the cover of the arm. It is advisable

to move the darning ring as far as possible to the left,

especially if the damaged part of the stocking is at the

toe or at the heel.

Now lift the inner ring of the darning apparatus out

of the outer ring by pressing the two finger-grips.
Slip the stocking over the open arm and the darning

apparatus, until the damaged part is in the centre of

the darning ring. Then reinsert the inner ring into the

outer ring, which latter is now under the stocking. Take

care that the part of the stocking inside the ring be

well stretched.

Press the inner ring right down, so that the complete

darning apparatus lies well on the throat plate. The

darning ring can now easily be pushed about in any

direction.

It is advisable to sew first a seam round the damaged

part, in order to prevent any further running. Then,

begin to stretch threads from fi.ont to back and in

reverse by pushing the dai.ming ring backwards and for-

wards. Sew these thread rows across the laddering

direction of the stocking, at different lenghts, and make

them parallel and as close as possible.

Now, cover these thread rows in the laddering direction

by pushing the darning ring from side to side. It is

also possible to rotate the inner ring a quarter of a

turn and to continue to push the darning ring back-
wai.ds and forwards.

Begin sewing these covering seams a little beyond the

limit of the thread rows (see fig.14b). The covering

seams, which are made at different lengths into the

sound part of the stocking, shall be parallel and as

close as possible.

Now fill out the small interstices in the darn by some

more covering seams, until the hole is completely filled.

20

21

Darning wilh wool

When darning with wool,

use the patented wool

darning foot. For top and

bottom threads use darn-

ing cotton. The colour of

both the wool and the top

and bottom thi.eads will

be the same as the col-

our of the fabric to be

mended, so that the dai.n,

when finished, will be as

invisible as possible. The

thread tensions are the

same as when darning

underwear, etc. Woollen

socks are drawn over

the open arm without

using the darning appa-

ratus for stockings.

Set the machine as fol-

lows :

1. Lower feed dog by

turning level. 1 (Fig.

13) over to the right.

2. Set stitch regulator le-

ver 2 at zero, so that

the lowered feed dog

will not be set in mo-

tion unnecessarily.

The darning with wool is

made in two operations,

namely :

1. The damaged part is

covei.ed with wool rows.

2. Such rows are fastened

together by transver-

sal seams.

The three pictures on the opposite page clearly illustrate

the manner to darn.

Picture cb shows how to place the wool in the slit of

the wool darning foot. Let project the end of the wool

about half an inch beyond the rear border of the foot.

Now cover the hole with the wool, as shown in Fig. a.

Begin at the left hand top corner of the damaged part

and stretch the wool from side to side, i. e. from left to

right and in reverse, one run after the other, by pushing

the fabric accordingly. At the limit of each run, when

changing direction, the needle thread will tack the wool

to the fabric. These runs shall be made as close as pos-

sible. As soon as the hole is fully covered with wool, the

latter is cut off at the darning foot.

Now fasten together the wool runs by transversal seams,

as shown in Fig. c. For this purpose, the fabric is

pushed forwards and backwai.ds. In order that the darn

will result elastic, these seams should not be made too

close one to each other.

23

using lhe AIIachmenls

The Hemmer

(Width of hem about I/6'')

Attach the hemmer in place of the ordinal.y presser

foot. This is done by raising the presser foot bar until

the hemmer can easily be inserted.

Fold the edge of the cloth over to the desired width of

hem and push the fabric, so prepared, into the scroll

of the lifted hemmer until it is under the needle; then

lower the presser foot. When sewing, guide the folded

edge of the cloth very lightly. If too much cloth enters

the hemmer, the hem will be bulgy and eneven; if too

little enters, the hem will not be taken in enough.

The Lap Hemmer (Feller)

The lap hemmer, or feller, is similar in shape to the

hemmer just described; only, the lap hemmer has no

scroll. Lap hems are used for very firmly joining two

pieces of material; they are made in two operations, as

follows :

F¢r8t ope7.cote.o7£. Place the

pieces of fabric to be

joined one on top of the

other in such a way that

the lower piece projects

slightly, and `g-uide both

pieces into the feller as

when hemming, so that

they are turned down.

When sewing, take care

that the same width of

material always enters a

the feller.

Second opei.ation. Unfo\d

and lay flat the two pie-

ces of fabric. The joint

will now stand up like a

small pleat. This pleat is

now guided through the

feller again, ¢" €fae scb"e

diTecti,on cbs the i ki.st; ti'I'ne ,

so that it is laid down

and sewn on.

24

The Edger wilh Ouiller Guide

Fig. 19

As the illustration shows, the stitch hole is located right

at the edge of the presser foot. This presser foot with-

out guide is therefore particulary suitable for sewing

directly along the edge of the fabric.

If the edger is fitted with the quilter guide, it will be

found ideal for quilting work, as the above illustration

shows.

First fix the quilter guide with the blade at the desired

distance from the edger. Then make a seam and shift

the material to the I.ight, until the seam just made will

be exactly below the blade of the quilter guide. Now run

a further seam, following with the blade of the quilter

guide the first one, and so on. When all the seams are

made in one direction, repeat the operation in the trans-

verse direction, i. e. at right angles to the first rows

of seams.

Useful Hints for Remedying Troubles

We list below various possible causes of slight troubles

which can be easily remedied.

Top lhread breaks

Inferior grade of needle, roughly polished.

Needle is not inserted in the needle bar correctly; long

groove in needle must face to tfae 7.¢gfot.

Needle size is not suitable for material to be sewn and

thread used.

Wrong threading of the needle. Thread needle from

right to left.

Poor quality thread with knots.

Top thread tension is too tight.

Thread passages are not smooth and need repolishing.

Needle hole i_n-throat plate is damaged by the needle

and needs repolishing.

Bollom |bobbin| lhread breaks

Bottom thread tension is too tight.

Bottom thread not properly wound on bobbin.

Bobbin crushed, and jamming.

Faulty slilches

Wrong needle. Use system 130 only.

Low-grade needle, roughly polished.
i_one_groove Of needle ±s n6€ facing to the right.

Needle is not pushed right up in the needle bar.

Needle size is not suitable for the thread used.

Presser foot is not lying well on the throat plate.

Needle breaks

Needle is bent.

Needle clamp screw is not sufficiently tightened.

Needle is too fine for material to be sewn and thread

used.

Top thread tension is too tight.

During sewing, the work is drawn backwards too fast

so that the needle is touching the throat plate.

26

27

Iiiegulai seams

Remnants of thread, etc., have collected between the

thread tension discs.

Remnants of thread have collected under the bobbin

case tension spring.

Bobbin crushed and jamming.

Bottom thread is not finer than top thread.

Race of rotary hook needs oiling. See Fig. 3a.

Sewing cotton is of irregular thickness.

kolary hook is blocked

Owing to incorrect handling of the machine, thread may

get jammed in the rotary hook and block the machine.

Unthread the needle and remove all visible parts of

thread from the rotary hook. Now oil the hook race

fi;egdh:Lyre(ag;gfo3rao)nea::ta;`oO¥iihuete::[Ttfe£Cttu::tthheehJ;anE=

wheel backwards and forwards a few times. The jam-

med thread ends will be cut to pieces by this movement

and can now be removed. Never slacken the hook fixing

screws, nor take off the rotary hook. Neither should you

ever use screwdrivers, scissors etc. for the removal of

threads from the rotary hook, as the same is tempered

and therefore very sensible; otherwise you may risk to
damage some part of it. Before beginning to sew, bring

up the bottom thread and place it, together with the

top thread, to the rear of the presser foot. Whilst the

first few stitches are being sewn, hold both threads bet-

ween the thumb and forefinger of the left hand.

Machine iuns slowly

The machine is insufficiently oiled ("ot tfue 7roo€or, which

on the contrary should be oiled very seldom in order

to prevent oiling-up of the brush).

Use of unsuitable oil, that is not free of resin and acid

and got sticky.

28

Slandard Accessories supplied wilh lhe Model 121

Bernina Porlable Sewing Machine

Part No. On the Machine:

851 1 sewing presser foot, hinged

5856 1 sewing presser foot extension

In the Sewing Kit:

862 1 lap hemmer (feller)

863 1 edger with quilter guide

865 1 wide hemmer

3929 1 darning foot

3838 1 wool-darning foot

5878 1 darning apparatus for stockings

1115 6 bobbins, including one fitted to machine

178 1 small screwdriver

5888 1 screwdriver of medium size

5206 1 oilcan

1 current supply cord with plug

1 packet of assorted needles, system 130

In the Carrying Case:

3850

1 sewing table

1 instruction book

The right is reserved to modify the design of the rna-

chime and the foregoing text and illustrations are sub-

].ect to this reservation.

1/51