Learning a new skill is always a good thing. Keeping our brains active and healthy, regardless of age, is important. Then, getting paid to do it is like the cherry on top! This is what Julie Bridgeman does at BERNINA, a Swiss sewing machine company. Julie and her husband James, along with Andrew (25), Emma (22) and Sarah (20) moved to White Eagle in 2005. When Emma was a baby, Julie bought her first sewing machine, a Bernette, the budget-friendly line of Berninas. She wanted to make home decor, like curtains and pillows. Her machine was purchased at a quilt store where she ended up not only interested in home dec, but quilts also.

            When her kids were little we didn’t have the online communities that exist today. Julie checked out books from the library and took local sewing classes. Later, she took a part-time job at a local quilt store. They sold fabric and sewing items along with Bernina machines, which are the high-end sewing machines. She also made custom t-shirt quilts on the side. Most of her business was from parents of high school graduates who wanted a memory quilt to take to college. Occasionally, she got requests for quilts with baby clothes, sports shirts, and sorority shirts. Her most memorable and special t-shirt quilt is at White Eagle Elementary where her 3 kids went to school. She made it when Sarah graduated as a thank you for all the wonderful memories. On the back of the quilt is a pocket with a list of all their teachers throughout the years.  

            Julie found out that Bernina of America was located in Aurora and reached out to the Education Department, inquiring about jobs. At that time there were no positions available and Julie figured that was the end of that. Then, a few months later, Christy, Manager of Education, reached out to see if Julie was still interested in a job. A new position had been created in the department that might be a good fit. This was the beginning of her new career.

            Bernina is based in Switzerland, and Bernina of America distributes one of the best sewing machines in the world. Her original position was Associate Educator which allowed her to get familiar with the variety of machines this company creates. They have several levels of machines from entry level to top-of-the-line. She had to familiarize herself with the plethora of presser feet and attachments that are used to create different stitches and perform different sewing techniques, not to mention all the features and functions of each machine. These machines are computerized allowing limitless creativity and fun! You don’t even need to thread the needle anymore. It was very interesting seeing the numerous things Julie was able to show me in her extensive collection of machines she has at her disposal.

            She now works as an Educator at Bernina which involves creating a lot of content for social media. She also creates content for store dealers to help them sell machines. If you follow Bernina @BERNINAUSA you might see her promoting the latest products. Every year the company releases new machines and special edition machines. This past summer the new, top-of-the-line machine was unveiled - the first one in several years. It includes a laser, a camera and Wi-Fi.

            There are groups of sewers and a huge online sewing community that get together to work on various projects. When asked why Julie sews she says, “Sewing is more than a hobby. It’s about creativity, community and giving.” This is reflected in the people she meets, and she finds them to be very supportive and fun. You can check out the variety of machines and what the company is all about at Bernina.com or WeAllSew.com, their creative blog.  Also, you can find Julie on Instagram @juliebsews where she posts pictures of personal and work projects.

            Getting paid to do something you enjoy is exciting. Using your brain to learn new things and then putting that knowledge to use is such a rewarding process. It’s great that we have the opportunity to do all of this and I’m certain it’s what makes life exciting as we go along.