BERNINA Introduces the 2016 BERNINA 350 Special Edition Best Friend and Will Donate $30,000 to the Petfinder Foundation

AURORA, IL--(Marketwired - Feb 10, 2016) - BERNINA of America, the premier manufacturer of sewing, embroidery and quilting machines, is pleased to introduce the 2016 BERNINA 350 Special Edition Best Friend (B 350 SE Best Friend) sewing machine. The B 350 SE Best Friend with exclusive pet paws faceplate design supports the Petfinder Foundation's mission to help pets in need. BERNINA will also donate $30,000 from a portion of the B 350 SE Best Friend sales to the foundation. In addition, BERNINA will support The Quilt Pattern Magazine's (TQPM) Kennel Quilt Team to aid pets in shelters by hosting kennel quilt events at BERNINA Dealer locations. The new B 350 SE machine is now available at BERNINA stores nationwide and the MSRP is $1,899. 

"Pet adoption is something that is very close to my heart and to the hearts of many sewists. The idea that we could impact the lives of pets in shelters by doing something we love was the inspiration for the 2016 B 350 SE Best Friend," said Amy Gutierrez, Director of Marketing for BERNINA of America. "By partnering with the Petfinder Foundation and the TQPM Kennel Quilt Team we can help make a difference and enrich the lives of our furry friends in need."

The B 350 SE Best Friend features an exclusive paw print faceplate. It is also equipped with eight full shank presser feet, of which includes the BERNINA Walking Foot #50 and the BERNINA Free-motion Quilting Foot #29, a slide-on extension table to quickly increase the work area, and the BERNINA Free Hand System (FHS), which is a knee-operated lever that raises the presser foot, lowers the feed dogs and releases the thread tension at the same time. 

Other features include 191 total stitch patterns, a maximum sewing speed up to 900 stitches per minute, and a stitch width up to 5.5 mm. The B 350 SE also has a direct-selection function with a bright LCD screen that allows sewists to switch quickly between 18 utility stitches and 63 decorative stitches, including 11 quilting stitches. Additionally, a high-precision buttonhole function with two programmed buttonhole styles gives users the ability to sew buttonholes of the exact same length every time. There's also enough memory space to permanently store up to 30 stitches as well as a bright LED sewing light. For more information, visit http://www.bernina.com/en-US/Products-US/BERNINA-products/Sewing-Quilting-and-Embroidery/BERNINA-3-Series/BERNINA-350-Special-Edition.

The Petfinder Foundation is a public charity that works to prevent the euthanasia of adoptable pets by assisting animal shelters and rescue groups across North America. Founded in 2003, the Petfinder Foundation has donated more than $20 million in cash and product grants to help organizations save the lives of pets in need. Its grant programs are designed to make homeless pets more adoptable by keeping them happy and healthy, to make shelter operations more sustainable, and to aid adoption groups during times of natural or man-made disasters. Petfinder Foundation recipients include more than 13,000 organizations, caring for more than 300,000 homeless pets at any given time, throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

"We are beyond grateful for the opportunity to partner with BERNINA," said Emily Fromm, Chief Development Officer for the Petfinder Foundation. "The donation from the sales of the B 350 SE Best Friend will make a huge impact on accomplishing our mission of preventing the euthanasia of adoptable pets."

The Quilt Pattern Magazine (TQPM) Kennel Quilt Team, which began in 2012 as an effort to help animal shelters affected by Hurricane Sandy, is a volunteer organization which assists when disasters strike. BERNINA of America supports the TQPM Kennel Quilt Team by promoting kennel quilt sewing at BERNINA Dealers. To date, more than 3,300 Kennel Quilts have been distributed to shelters in 13 states.

"The BERNINA Kennel Quilt events will offer the public an opportunity to get involved and support local pets in shelters," said Nan Baker, Marketing Director for The Quilt Pattern Magazine. "With hundreds of BERNINA Dealers across the country we will be able to dramatically increase the amount of kennel quilts we provide to shelters."

About BERNINA
Founded in Switzerland more than 100 years ago, BERNINA is the world's premier manufacturer with a proven reputation for offering quality state-of-the-art sewing, quilting and embroidery machines, overlockers, and embroidery software. BERNINA's leadership is marked by an impressive number of ambassadors, industry leaders, influencers and bloggers, who chose to partner with the company. BERNINA products are sold in the United States through a network of over 400 fully trained independent dealerships that also offer support and education. Select BERNINA and bernette machines, and BERNINA software can also be purchased through BERNINA's eCommerce site, shop.bernina.com. BERNINA products are designed for beginning to advanced sewists and priced to meet a variety of budgets, with new products being introduced every year. You can follow BERNINA on Facebook: www.facebook.com/berninausa, Instagram: @BERNINAUSA, and Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/WeAllSew, and read BERNINA's WeAllSew blog at www.weallsew.com. To learn more about BERNINA and to find a Dealer, visit www.bernina.com or call (630)978-2500.