Whatever slacker was hired to do the final assembly did not bother to check if the machine sat level on a flat table. The rubber feet on the very bottom of the machine are not perfectly aligned which causes the accessory tray to fall towards the table that it is sitting on. I'll have to get out my dremel to fix this glitch since getting to the screws to adjust the rubber feet cannot be accessed without taking off the entire cover.

I'm not a sewer by any stretch of the imagination, but occasionally life calls for a sewing machine. As such I'm a bit hard on sewing machines because I clearly don't know my limits.

I chose this machine because of the brand name, and the advertised qualities that state it can handle thicker materials and harder jobs, and so far it has. I have had to sew covers onto reflectix insulation for two different RV's windows. Each RV had at least 8 windows, and most weren't small. (The reasoning here is I moved into an RV full time two years ago; in reality I'll never be able to retire here in the US, so I moved into an RV to travel while I'm still young enough to enjoy it.)

Living full-time RV life means the inevitable cold / stupid hot weather sometimes catches you, and having protection against those extremes makes all the difference in the world, hence the reflectix window coverings. I could have left them the shiny chrome color, but they look better with some fabric over them, plus, it adds an extra layer of protection.

This little machine has plowed through several layers of different fabrics on reflectix with no issues. Some of the fabrics are burlap, flannel, and anti-slip fabric. I've also had to stitch a rug with thin rubber on the bottom. This little machine handles them all well and silky smooth.

My only complaints are
1- this machine weighs as much as a feather; I can lift it with one hand, and I'm a small female. Instead of a metal machine like they used to make, these new ones are crappy plastic just about everywhere. For a machine made to handle big, tough jobs, being so lightweight did lead to some moving around as I sewed bigger items.
2 - I also found the cord to be a touch too short. Reaching the plug, the machine, and a table at a comfortable height left zero room for moving the footswitch anywhere but directly under the machine, and at a bit of a tilt at that. - I'm 5'1", so it's not like I was being unrealistic.
3- The switch that lifts the foot up and down is in an awkward/weird position from other machines, and it is very short, thin, and plastic. When this plastic starts to break I would bet good money this is the first piece to go.

All things considered, this little machine is a good one for tougher projects in regards to the thickness of fabrics and alternative materials. I only hope it lasts more than the new standard of 5-7 years, because at that point I'll just consider sewing projects a no-go. I won't spend the money on a plastic machine twice.

I wish I had bought this brand decades ago when companies still used metal in their manufacturing. this new disposable mentality; "make em' cheap so they have to buy another more often" is both unsustainable and a little sleezy in my opinion.

If you can find an older metal model I recommend it, but if not this little thing will work fine. Just don't expect to pass it on to any family. The only possible outcome after myself is the landfill.
Welcome to 2022.

So far, I love the Bernette 35. It is light weight but steady and serviceable. I plan to use it to make draperies and pillow covers and have made one pillow cover since it set it up yesterday. The setup took a little longer than I expected because you have to read the directions and look at the pictures carefully. I have been sewing for 60 years, and I think it is a my favorite machine. Haven't tried the different stitches yet, but straight sewing is easy stitches are a consistent size.

Used for teaching children with disabilities to learn how to button, zip pants and shirt, snaps, preparing them to dress themselves for school.

This is a very nice machine. Light weight and easy to use. I would have liked a speed button to select to help me control between fast and slow sewing when working on different sized projects.