Unboxing the NEW Husqvarna Viking Designer Brilliance 80

Good morning everyone. I’m back with something very exciting to share with you.

I’m unboxing the BRAND NEW Husqvarna Viking Designer Brilliance 80. This sewing/embroidery machine has some amazing features and I can’t wait to share them with you.

Let’s check it out!

I love how the sewing machines ship in that unadorned cardboard cover. It’s like sewing is an undercover activity and no one needs to know what’s in the box. Or maybe we don’t want our neighbors to know what we’re doing until all hours of the day and night. But I’d bet that the main purpose is to provide a less visually distracting box for shipping purposes.

Off with the shipping sleeve…………..

And there’s the sewing machine box. Quick – let’s open it up so we can see the machine. Sorry – I couldn’t resist teasing you!

There it is – the Husqvarna Viking Designer Brilliance 80. It’s beautiful and I love the shape of it. I see that it has a large screen (exciting!). There’s something interesting on the lower right corner of that screen – it says “mySewnet”. OH – more on that tomorrow.

I see that the functions are in their usual place which is very conveniently located just above and to the right of the needle. This makes it easy to reach up with a finger to touch the appropriate function when you need it.

Keeping the functions and other basics the same (and in the same spot) as previous models makes upgrading to the Designer Brilliance 80 a snap if an upgrade is in your future.

Here’s the other thing I love. The Designer Brilliance 80 comes with a detachable accessory box.

What goes on the machine once you remove the accessory box?

Why that gorgeous optional extension table. This is the same table that I’ve been raving about on previous Husqvarna Viking sewing machine models. The engineers have made the base of the Designer Brilliance 80 compatible so you can use the existing extension table.

Thank you, engineers! I really love when a sewing machine is designed with the actual people who will be upgrading/sewing in mind. That means a lot to me. I feel that if they made conscious decisions about a detail like this, then I’ll bet that they made other decisions that I’ll probably never know about that will make my life easier when I sew and embroider on this machine.

Notice the ruler guides along the front of the machine. That may seem like a useless feature, but I use that ruler guide all the time when I piece. “How long is this piece?”,  “Did I pick up the right piece?” No running to the cutting table for a ruler, I use that ruler guide. It’s super handy.

Whether you have the extension table on the sewing machine or not, you still have access to the ruler either the one on the extension table or the one on the sewing machine. The measurements are in metric and imperial depending on your preference. Someday, it’ll sink in my head that 2.5cm is the same as one inch. It’s like I know the math, but I can’t seem to visualize it and I’m a very visual person. One day……..

Here’s a close up of the function panel. There’s the speed control – very handy for decorative stitching or free motion quilting; the scissors (cut function) for cutting threads; the Presser Foot Up and Extra Lift; the Needle Stop Up/Down; the STOP function which is amazing for decorative stitches, the Fix function that ties a knot at the beginning or the end of your row of stitches; the Presser Foot Up/Extra Lift; the Start/Stop function which is super handy for decorative stitches and machine embroidery. And lastly the reverse function.

These functions are very useful and can save you a lot of time. I’m always telling my students that they need to eliminate as many variables as possible when doing a task. Those functions help to eliminate a lot of guesswork in your project by taking care of certain variables, especially speed which has five different settings.

If you look closely at the photo above, you’ll see two different features written on the right-hand side of the sewing machine. You’ll see the words “deLuxe Stitch System”. I know – you’re going to ask “what the heck is that”? The best way to understand is to watch this short video. It’s a pretty amazing system that gets rid of the problem of working with specialty threads like metallic.

And there’s also the ESS which is the Exclusive Sensor System. Have a look at this short video to get the full story on this most amazing feature. This is one of my favorite features and I would be totally lost without it. It ensures that your stitches are well executed every time and that in turn saves time for us!

To enjoy sewing to the max, it’s all about removing as many variables as you can and let the machine do most of the work. That means there’s more time for sewing, fewer mistakes, and you’ll actually enjoy the process. You can’t beat that combination.

I say it all the time, but we really do need to read the User’s Guide. As the sewing machines get more complex, (not complicated), the User’s Guides seem to get smaller. That’s GREAT news.

This User’s Guide contains basic information such as unpacking the sewing machine, identifying all the parts and accessories that come with the machine, basic functions like winding a bobbin, thread the machine, getting ready for embroidery and maintenance.

But wait – where’s the rest of the information? Here’s the most amazing thing ever. The complete User’s Guide is built into the Designer Brilliance 80 and is available for perusal on the multi-touch screen. Seriously? The entire User’s Guide? Yep! I LOVE that feature. No need to carry my manual with me or in my case, no need to find it if I need the darn thing.

It’s so easy to access the User’s Guide. It’s right there on the first screen every time you turn on the Designer Brilliance 80. And you have three ways that you can use the User’s Guide.

You can browse through the User’s Guide by topic in alphabetical order. That’s the screenshot below. You can also browse through the User’s Guide by chapter which is the same format that you would find in the physical User’s Guide.

Alternatively, you can use the search option to find the specific topic you need.

We all have different ways of learning and locating information. The versatility of these three options to find information in the User’s Guide is awesome! You’re bound to find all the answers to your questions with one of those three methods.

But let’s say that you’re staring at the screen and you’ve no idea what a particular button is called, what it does, or how it works. It happened to me. Since I didn’t know what the button was, I couldn’t search for it. But there’s another very amazing source of built-in help on the Designer Brilliance 80. Touch the Quick Help function (the question mark at the top of the screen) and then touch the item on the multi-touch screen that you want to know more about.

A pop-up screen with the information appears on the screen. Seriously? This couldn’t be any easier to learn how to use all the features on every screen.

If you’re new to this sewing machine, I would take some time and use the Quick Help function and go through all the buttons/pictures on the screen. One by one, you’ll get the name of the function/button and what it does. How easy is that to learn? And if you forget? The Quick Help is very patient and will tell you over and over again the same information without once losing patience. I love that!

In this pop-up message from Quick Help, I get access to another link that’ll provide more information on the selected function.

In addition to the User’s Guide, there’s also the JoyOS advisor. This is a fabulous resource with an amazing amount of information built-in to the sewing machine.

There are product guides on things like stabilizers and sewing techniques for quilting, garment sewing, and machine embroidery.

This is also where you select the sewing technique and the type of fabric that you’re working on and the Designer Brilliance 80 will set up the sewing machine for you. Yes, it’ll suggest the stitch type and length, the needle and presser foot and any other settings that are necessary for you to perform that sewing task.

Remember how I said earlier that the more variables you can remove from the sewing task, the easier it becomes and allows you to focus on the fun part? Well, the JoyOS Advisor does an excellent job at removing a lot of variables. It really doesn’t get any easier than that!

Imagine having access to all this information when you’re learning to sew. The JoyOS Advisor is a very patient teacher.

Here’s an example of the instructions for making a rolled collar. There are supply lists, videos and written instructions on how to make the rolled collar. You can customize the multi-touch screen so you can see one step at a time or fill the entire screen with the instructions. The settings are very flexible!!!!

At last – here’s what the actual sewing screen looks like. It’s amazing. All that information right at your finger tips. The tension, the stitch length and width, the type of needle to use, the foot and much more information is on that screen.

While this screen might look intimidating, the JoyOS Advisor takes almost all the guesswork out of the equation if you choose the settings (sewing technique and fabric type) before you start to sew.

Here’s a cool safety feature. I wanted to show you that the actual size and shape of the stitches are shown on the screen. But when I went to choose a zigzag stitch, I got this error message. The straight stitch plate was on the machine and it wouldn’t let me move the needle out of the center position. Now isn’t that great?

Seriously, there are so many features on the Designer Brilliance 80 that it’s like having a sewing instructor sitting beside you or someone telling you what you can or cannot do. It’s practically foolproof.

These features allow the quilter/sewist to sew and not worry about breaking needles or trying to figure out tension. Now, who doesn’t want that ability?

I’m super excited to get sewing on the Husqvarna Viking Designer Brilliance 80. I’ve got several small projects lined up later this week, that make perfect for gifts. Tomorrow, I’ll show you how to personalize the Designer Brilliance 80 and make it work even harder for you!

Have a great day!

Ciao!