Yes Nevis5 it is the same dealer.  I had to take the buttonhole slide foot off the machine and hold it with my left hand and then push the slide back towards the ankle and let go and it sprung back as it should so that was fine.  As you know about the sensors being clean I always make sure that they are - if you can get hold of a dental mirror that will be useful in seeing exactly where the sensor is tucked up in the machine near the needle, and then keep on wiping this so any debris and dust from the needle penetration is removed, and the other sensor on the foot is much easier to clean.

I was also getting interruptions on my screen saying that I needed to clean the bobbin area or wind a new bobbin, and this made the machine stop so many times it was driving me mad, and I was constantly having to bring the machine up from its 'flatbed' setting to open the bobbin case to clean that area.  On my machine once the door is open there is a black plastic part, and part way down this black plastic part is yet another sensor and that has to be clean as well as if this has any bits of fluff on it will trigger the message on the screen that the bobbin area needs cleaning.  Steve then took me through to a part of the machine I did not know about via the buttons on the front of the machine called 'Set up button'  and  I disabled this  via the 'Messages and Voice Control' and the 'lower thread control'. 

So, so far ten lovely buttonholes stitched in next to no time, and this morning I will venture into the machine again and reinstate the 'lower thread control' and then see what happens.  I might even be brave and try stitching buttons on as this is something I have never done before, I have the foot as it is one that came with the machine.

However Steve worried me somewhat, whilst he is still working and working even harder as several other dealers within a radius of where he works have gone, either moved away, retired or passed away, he is beginning to think about his own retirement which is still several years away yet but that means there will be nobody within distance of several of us to service our machines or to buy a machine - what are we going to do.  I suppose if we are given sufficient notice then we can have our machines serviced and all in good order and that should see us through to the end of our sewing days.

Please does anyone have this Bernina Artista 200 machine along with the buttonhole foot 3A which is the slide and has a sensor on the side?

I have successfully sewn many buttonholes on this machine in the past, sometimes I have had trouble with it misbehaving and found this was due to fluff or debris up on the inbuilt sensor which is situated up in the machine near the needle and thus I now always make sure that I have cleaned away any debris - this is where a dental mirror is so useful.

However all this week I have been trying to sew buttonholes, and yesterday thought I had got this all sorted but no.  I have my previous notes on how I did the buttonholes and the settings, but this time around I can do a perfect buttonhole but when I go to do another one all I get is a straight continuous line of satin stitches, it does not stop and go back up to stitch the top bar and then the  second bead.

I am at a loss to understand why it is doing this, I have saved the settings and luckily I have not yet tried sewing the buttonholes on my top - anyway as it is a type of cotton lawn I do not think this would tolerate too much unpicking.

I have three other tops all ready cut out waiting to be put together and they all need buttonholes.

I am obviously doing something wrong but I do not know what - can anyone help please - thanks.

Your corset Sonatine looks fantastic - very well done.  Hope you have enjoyed making this, and you are sensible in wearing this in, as once on for real with all the other garments and up on a horse you need to be comfortable and not have pieces of corsetry/boning digging into you.

With regards to the instructions for the other parts, I would think you are right about the lining referring to interlining - this is to help keep the fabric in shape and adds support.  Then when the jacket is complete you can then add a nice silky/satin lining as this will slip on easily over other garments.  You are doing an excellent job with this project so I do hope you are enjoying all the different processes.  Don't forget your new friend 'the rolling pin' to help you set and flatten the bulky parts.

Fran there is/was something available called Vilene Fusible Bias Edge Tape -  use this tape anywhere that is prone to stretch, shoulder seams, necklines and armholes for example.  Ensure that the stitch line of the tape sits on the seam line, widest side to the edge.   Use a dry iron, wool setting for six seconds to ensure bonding.  Stretch slightly to ease garment on to tape as you press.  This information came from Janet Molville when she was writing for Sewing World, so is a good few years ago now.  This tape was available in white or charcoal and you could buy by the metre. 

However I also have in my stash something else by Vilene called Edge Tape, this is an iron on stitch reinforced tape and came on a roll of 20m x 2cm. in a poly bag with an instruction sheet.

Lastly I have some Vlieseline bias tape T12,  12mm x 5m comes in white and charcoal - this I obtained via Amazon when I couldn't put my hands on the tapes above, and of course as soon as it arrived I found the original tapes - isn't that always the way.  I also sent up some of this Vlieseline bias tape to Bodgetandscarper when she was making her 'mother of the bridegroom dress' as time was crucial.

I believe the huge angle of the front of wrap bodices have a nasty tendency to stretch however careful you are, and if you can get some of this bias tape and adhere this to the neckline before you move the freshly cut piece off the cutting table then you might be lucky and not get any stretch, you have nothing to lose from this.

So far you bodice is looking good, and as you say the weight of the skirt could make it pull down, if you do not want this to happen then making a waist stay would be a good idea.  Love the colour and pattern of your fabric choice, should look stunning when finished.

Another tip I learned from one of my bosses many, many years ago, was to sew the middle of a piece of elastic in the middle of the bodice underneath, i.e. the wrong side of the bodice, and then take this elastic around your body and fasten at the back - this then stops the front of your bodice falling away from your body should you lean forward.  Another way you can do this but on a different style front, is to cover a piece of lightweight boning in lining fabric and attach strategically to the underside of the front of your bodice but just high enough that this piece of boning can be tucked inside your bra and again this stops everything from flopping forward.

RJR_38 have you considered going to Aylesbury where the Country Library Reserve collection is housed, it was downstairs from the main reception area of County Hall.  I was amazed at just how many sewing books there were down there and you can borrow them.  These books are usually the last editions held in the county thus they hold on to them.  Maybe give them a ring first to find out exactly where they are situated in case they have moved, and also any restrictions - I was told only so many people can be down there at any one time and if already full then you have to wait, and of course you can wait a long time.  Sadly though a long time ago Bucks changed their lending time to three weeks, and I found three weeks was not really long enough especially when reading and trying out some of the techniques in those books - I came home with 12 books.  The books borrowed can then be returned via your nearest local library.

Imi it isn't me that wants to sell the Bernina it is Happy Mrs.G. 

I just threw my  support in regarding what a super machine it is - go on go for it, you won't regret this.  By the way my 830 Record dates back to 1975 and was my other's machine.  I use this as my main machine as although my mother used this machine it was nowhere near as much as I have, and thus I keep my other machines for more specialised work that they do.

Thanks Fran, I will go looking.

I know I paid VAT on the extra pads and clips, and was I thought misled  over the price, as originally I said I wanted three extra pads and was given the price of £10.80, no mention of VAT at all at that stage nor that the packs had two extra pads and six clips in each pack.  I also thought I had made it clear that I wanted a lamp as well on the second time I phoned and  thought the price they quoted was for everything.  However I knew they were out of stock and had to wait a couple of weeks, so was surprised when they phoned to query my address and yes I have an awkward address and often people get this wrong.  The package of extra pads and clips arrived the following day in a jiffy bag.  I waited and waited for the lamp and no sign of this, so rang them again and was told I hadn't ordered a lamp, but they would send one straight away and it would come the  next day.  ( I am wondering whether they realised that perhaps they had made a mistake??)

Now only last week we had an odd phone call from what seemed like our bank, only it woke me up in the morning and once my husband had taken the phone from me he walked off with it.  This was another of those phone scams only this time on a credit card.  My husband is ex bank so he rang a totally different number that connected him to the bank and they were able  to confirm that there was nothing untoward going on with our credit card, but my husband was unaware that I had used it for a couple of purchases, and one was for the lamp and as far as I am concerned I have only paid £24.60 for this and no P&P.  However only time will tell when we get the credit card statement.

I now have the lamp set up onto two different machines, and what a difference it is making, I am still awaiting news of my new glasses and I am sure they will help as well.  I wanted the extra pads as I have other machines which I use - and if I had known VAT was going to be added to everything then yes I would have bought two lamps but then I would still have one machine without a fitting for the lamp.  By the way the main fixing pad for the machine is sticky backed, and the plastic on this has two channels which the lamp's base slides on to - so you do really need the proper sticky backed base on order to fix this to the machine.

I cannot get out and about that easily and if I go into a town really have to think carefully what and where I need to go and choose the car park nearest and my time limit is abut half and hour before my back really plays up and I cannot walk.  So I am rather forced into using the internet to do a lot of my shopping and it has been so easy.  Only perhaps with what has just happened I need to wake up a bit and check about VAT and P&P - but this was all done by a phone call after seeing it advertised on a website.  I had actually gone into our County town to a Hobbycraft especially for this lamp - now I am not a frequent visitor to Hobbycraft ( second time only) and yes they had various lamps there but nothing like this small machine lamp - and when I paid for my other shopping the assistant said they never stock this particular lamp and that it was via their website only.