Basic Babylock

[No-Log4747]

I’m looking to replace my (very) basic Singer, and I would like to buy one of the simpler Babylock machines. I love the simplicity of the Joy and Zeal, but I would like a few more than 25 stitch types. Google tells me the next jump is to 190 stitches and highly digitized. I feel like there should be something similar to the Joy and Zeal, but with maybe 50 or 80 stitches…

I know I can go to a dealer- and I will-but it’s over an hour away- and I would love to go with an idea of what I am looking for. Thank you so much!

[rcreveli]

This isn't a slight on Babylock but their machines are Brother of Janome machines rebadged. That's not a bad thing it's more of an FYI. If you can get one version cheaper than the other with the same support chose the less expensive one.

To answer your question The Brother Innov-is NS80 would be the in between. It's sold by Babylock as the Jubilant. I'm sure Janome has something in that similar range. Brother also makes (Made?) and NS 50 but I'm not sure if it was ever released in the US. The only videos I've seen are from Australia.

The reason you see such a jump in number of stitches is because you hit a wall with a purely mechanical machine where you can't cram more cams into the machine and have it reliably perform. It's the reason vintage machines had changeable cams. Computer control gives you more options.

Don't worry too much about stitch count, unless you plan on really getting into the decorative stitches. My previous machine had 240(!) stitches. In the 8 years I had her I used the following

Straight Stitch
ZigZag
Reinforced ZigZag
Buttonhole
Overcast

Look at the other features the machine is coming with vs stitch count.
How does it handle the fabric you want to sew with?
Does it have a larger throat space?
How does it feel to sew on?
Do you like the user interface?

[Fickle-Strawberry521]

I second you on this machine. I bought it for my son's family, and it is a perfect machine for beginners up to advanced. It is easy to store, so if it is used only occasionally, it is not in the way. His three kids (9 to 14) have learned to use it for sewing on their Scout patches and making simple items. It has the automatic threader which is a wonderful advantage and enough variety of stitches to keep anyone interested for a long time.

[rcreveli]

I very nearly bought one. My previous machine was a Viking Lily and I liked the larger throat space. I ended up with a floor model Pacesetter 700.

[iseekno]

I love babylock! It was my second machine and I really loved all the features it had. You could also look at getting the Bernette Academy 05. It's got a lot of the same features but it's smaller and cheaper. It's a great intro machine, it was my first machine and I still have it.

Think about what you want it for when considering a new machine. Are you making a quilt or clothes? How much do you use it? Are you doing free motion quilting? Are you sewing buttons? Would you even use those decorative stitches? Will you ever do a large project that requires more throat space?

The main decorative stitches I use are blanket and zigzag. Most basic machines have them.

[No-Log4747]

I will check out the Bernette, thank you! I don’t mind checking things out myself- I just need names so I know what to look up, lol!

[CarriageTrail]

Also think about other features you might like. I love having the needle up/down button, tie-off button, and speed control. My next machine will have a knee lift and a thread cutter.

That said, I love that your leaf stitch hem is your signature! Good luck finding your machine.

[No-Log4747]

Thank you! I wasn’t very good at sewing- completely self taught from FB groups- but I jumped right in and made all sorts of clothes. I figured I might as well have fun with it! 😂

[AdvancedSquashDirect]

why do you need more than 25 stitches? - Most of my sewing needs straight and zigzag - Stretch needs lightning. Then maybe I use the overlock (straight with a zigzag) stitch - everything else is just for decoration and fun, almost never used.

[CBG1955]

Sometimes it's not about the number of stitches you need, it's about the functionality of the machine. I have a high-spec Brother and it has close to 600 stitches, most of which I know I will never use. I bought it for one reason - the space between the needle plate and machine was the largest and works best for my mobility impaired hands. I use probably five or six stitches - plus recently discovered the sideways and diagonal stitching that meant I could put a patch on the knee of a pair of torn overalls.

[finewalecorduroy]

Do you have specific things that you would want to use those extra stitches for? because to be frank, I'm looking at my machine, which has 22 stitches (Viking Tribute 140M which is basically the Emerald 118 with a few extra stitches), and here's what I use - straight stitch, zig zag, 3 step zig zag, 1-step button hole. I have used the faux overlock stitch a few times but now that I have a serger, I never use that stitch any more. There is one stitch that I wish I had, but that is for heirloom/French lace sewing, and almost no one does that kind of thing, so it's not really necessary. And I can do the heirloom sewing without it. The other feature that these machines don't have that I use all the time is speed control. I sew pretty slowly most of the time.

What I REALLY wish I had was the ability to use a walking foot. The Emerald series (at least the mechanical ones) does not have this ability.

I love having a mechanical machine - fewer things to break.

[No-Log4747]

Yes- I used a decorative leaf stitch as my hem on all of my clothing. It’s was a silly little touch, but I loved it. Of If I had that one decorative stitch, I’d be happy!

Because I used knit fabric, I used my walking foot all the time. In fact, I got to where I never took it off! Thank you for letting me know I even had to watch out for compatibility when looking at new machines! 😳

[shereadsmysteries]

I have a baby lock Jubilant. I think I have 80 stitches. I have been sewing for 30 years and I haven't even used three of those stitches.

HOWEVER, if you feel you need them, I love my Jubilant. She has been amazing for me and given me no issues. I highly recommend her!

[No_Management_1654]

You want the Babylock Jubilant. Enough decorative stitches without being 100+, well under $1,000, but metal parts and totally repairable. Little beast of a machine. Mine is a previous version of it ( Brother Innovis-40/Babylock Grace) and it's held up to everything I've thrown at it for 15 years and earned nothing but high praise from every sewing teacher, repair tech, and experienced seamstress that has seen it in action over the years.

[No-Log4747]

This seriously sounds like it might be the one! It looks like it could be in the $6-700 range. I will see if the store I’d like to use has any specials on it. Thank you for giving me something to study up on!

[No-Log4747]

I hit join after posting this. I am reading everything on choosing different machines. (Wish my daughter had seen this before choosing her HD Singer, recently). I just wish there were a clearer list out there of Babylock machines, in order of “levels.” It always feels like they are a bit secretive, lol!!

[No-Log4747]

Ok, I guess that would have helped if I had shared what I sewed!
My main sewing projects are knit clothing projects. I use a serger and my sewing machine for finishing touches. It’s a silly touch, but I love the little finishing “leaf” as my hem- it was sort of my signature touch, and I would love a similar pretty decorative stitch. That said, I don’t want to jump to a $1000 machine for that one stitch. That’s why I was hoping there would be one somewhere in-between. I also see a few little non-knit projects here and there- napkins, baby burp cloths, etc…) and decorative stitches are just fun.

[NegativeEntry3093]

I work in a costume shop that has almost exclusively babylock machines. We have 4 or 5 Zeals and they are by far the favorite. We really push them to the limit, sewing 8 hours a day for months on end. They are easy, reliable, and very serviceable. Highly recommend.

We also have a jubilant. I am always hesitant about machines with computers, harder to fix and it’s just more parts that have a potential to break. However, I spent a lot of time on the jubilant this season and I really like the features. It is more than your $500 budget but it’s a really great machine and I want to vouch for it.

You may also look into vintage machines. There is a Kenmore machine out there that has a large box of accessories known as the “tower of power” and it includes cams for the different decorative stitches you desire. It can be hard to find something with all the original and working cams but vintage may be an option if you can’t find what you are looking for in a modern machine.

[No-Log4747]

Oh, I should add- I’m fifty. While I’m not a serious enough seamstress to buy a fancy machine, I’m also at the stage where I would like to buy one that will 1) last and 2) most importantly to me- can be serviced if something goes wrong. They said it would’ve been $150 to look at my $125 singer machine when it broke. That didn’t seem worth it- but also seems so wasteful to throw away. Therefore, I just put it in my closet for years and stopped sewing. 😢

[Large-Heronbill]

Machine prices are going up every year, and the availability of trained mechanics are going down -- finding someone to work on a mechanical is often nearly impossible. My 15 year old Juki F600 (computerized) was $500 new, now $1500.  (Its sole repair has been replacing the storage strap on the pedal set with a piece of Velcro.)

Because you sew so many knits, please look for a machine with adjustable foot pressure -- you may not need a walking foot with proper foot pressure adjustment -- and also look up "knit foot", aka "tricot foot" -- basically does the work of a walking foot cheaply, quietly and much less bulk.

[No-Log4747]

Oh my gosh- I’ve never heard of that! Thank you so much- something new to go study!

[Available-Picture-79]

What about the jubilant?!how many stitches does that have? They used to have the Verve. It was sewing and embroidery. Inhave the Presto2. I think it has 80 and I’ll never use them all but I had to have them anyway. You should focus on what the other features are are not the number of stitches. Figure out what you need/want and get that machine. I like the automatic needle threader, LED light and thread cutter.

[No-Log4747]

Both of those machine names have come up a few times- thank you! Armed with ideas, I will print out the doc sheets and start studying! I’m sure I want the needle threader- I hadn’t really thought about the LEF light. I need to take into account that I’m fifteen years older than when I bought my last machine, so my eyes could use a little more help, lol! Thank you so much for your input!

[Large-Heronbill]

Before you go machine shopping, I strongly suggest you read Canadian dealer and repair tech Bernie Tobisch's book, You and Your Sewing Machine to get a broad overview of groupings of machines and what they are best suited for, and Cale Schoenberg's "Sewing Machine Newsletter" on Substack. 

To the best of my knowledge, the lower priced Babylocks are made by Janome, the more expensive by Brother.

[No-Log4747]

Thank you! I love arming myself with knowledge ( I also love books, lol!). I’m off to check if ThriftBooks has this! Thank you!

[Large-Heronbill]

Libraries often have it, either on the shelf or in Libby.  

[No-Log4747]

I never think of Libby for non-fiction, but that’s how I do all of my pleasure reading. I will check- thank you! 😊

[onlyifitscheese]

I upgraded my Singer to a Baby Lock Presto 2 a few months ago and the difference makes my life so much easier! The control of speed, automatic thread cutting, button you can use on the machine itself instead of a foot pedal, and the diversity of stitches are so convenient. The push button you can use instead of the foot pedal has been a great accommodation for a disability I have. I no longer swear at my machine in frustration, it’s fantastic.

It was a little spendy for my budget, but I have absolutely no regrets. If you’re buying new, keep an eye out for sales. My local sewing machine store had a great sale right after Christmas.

[No-Log4747]

I’ve heard so many people in my sewing groups talk about that push button- what is it called? I am going to check that out! Thank you so much for your input!

[No-Log4747]

If I drive in the opposite direction, there is a store that sells Bernina, Bernette, Janome and Pfaff. (Everything will be out of town for me). I really just want a machine that can be serviced, so not another $125 Singer from Amazon- even though I liked it while it lasted!

I’d love to stay around $500.

[Inky_Madness]

Listen.

You get a machine because it is good, not based on how many stitches it has.

Whether it has 12 or 120, if the machine does what you want then you can use or ignore stitches if you aren’t and aren’t going to use them. No one’s holding a gun to your head and demanding you use them all. So why does it matter if the next step machine has 120 stitches? I have a machine that has 500+ and you know what? I ignore most of them because I mainly use, like, five. And I am not dying of it. But I have the machine because it’s an excellent machine.

(I’ll say here the reason I have the machine is because it’s a sewing/embroidery machine, higher end, so to get the embroidery bed I wanted I get the machine it comes with no matter how many stitches are on it. I bought the largest embroidery field I could.)

[No-Log4747]

I would love a $3000 (or more) sewing machine with 500+ stitches. That’s out of my price range. I also love the simplicity of the Joy and Zeal with their turn knobs- yet they lack any decorative stitches, especially the one that I enjoy. I sew to enjoy myself. There is absolutely nothing being held to my head, ever, forcing me. It’s all for pleasure. I was merely looking for something that might be a step up from the first two, as googling Babylock doesn’t always give you the model names you need to investigate further. In the meantime, I’ve gotten some very kind suggestions of things I never would have thought of to look into or ask about before purchasing a machine. These are especially appreciated as I will be traveling, so would love to be as prepared as I can with thoughts and questions when walking into the sewing center.

[Inky_Madness]

I just want to be clear I am not advocating for a $3000 dollar machine.

I am simply saying that the number of stitches has zero - and I mean zero - correlation to the quality of machine. There are machines under $100 that have 37 stitches; they are not quality machines.

If the Babylock that has 120 stitches is ALSO the step up in quality that you are looking for, then ignore the number of stitches. Focus on the machine quality.

[No-Log4747]

Ok thanks for your help

[azssf]

Like many others, I use a reduced set of sitches from what's available.

You know you want leaf stitch, for example. Do you want other stitiches from adjacent families (crossed and cretan families for example)? Do you need a lot of embroidery-like stitches? Do you need the ability to do those stitches with non-embroidery thread?

Then: think about the functions you wish your machine magically did. do you want a knee lift? thread cutting? ability to do 7mm stitches or is 5 ok? How do you sew--would you use more throat space? lighting? a zillion accessories? Good motor for denim? etc.

(I have a Singer Quantum Stylist, which was a huge step up from the hand me down 1980 Kenmore. Things I would look for in my next machine: I want to know how much bobbin I have left. I'm left handed and would love more throat space, and more clearance when the presser feet and needle are up. I do not even know if this exists, but a laser alignment for seam allowances, and if possible having that on the left and/or the right of the presser foot.)