Wow, I am sure in the minority here. I bought a Baby Lock Sophia - the original, not the 2 - about 3 years ago. That machine is the bane of my existence. I have used the emboidery feature 3 - yes three - times only, and every time I have used it I have ruined fabric and wound up taking it back to my dealer. The tension is ALWAYS screwing up, whether I'm doing regular sewing or trying to emboider - and it is impossible to adjust to correct once it messes up. I would try to sell it, but could not take someone else's money and give them that kind of problem. I'm actually heading to my dealer tomorrow to have it adjusted (a relatively pricey endeavor after the warrenty has expired) again tomorrow. After that I will use it only if my big Janome (which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE) needs to go in for cleaning.

I dont know how true this is but the shop that I bought my Baby Lock at said that they do not make machines just put thier name on other brands. My Jane is a Brother machine.

Brother makes the Baby Lock, I just bought the Symphony and it's beautiful. Just have to learn how to use it.

they arent open on Monday. Well poo. Guess I should have read their hours.

Clarification on who makes Babylock. Babylock is made in the Brother Factory, under BL guidelines and specifications. Even tho they look very much alike, the spec's are alot different and so is the quality control, which is overseen by BL. So no...they are not a Brother Machine, only made in the same factory.

So is the Babylock supposed to be a better quality than the Brother or a cheaper quality? I am in the market for a new machine for quilting and there are the Bernina supporters that say that is the only way to go. I currently have an old Viking, but am wondering what brand machines of good quality are out there?

Thanks for the info.
Brother is a good machine. I have a cheapy one that I bought on sale for 129 dollars over 5 years ago and it has never been to the repair shop.
Bernina is very expensive so cannot afford them.
I like my Viking very much and it is the machine I use the most. I love the auto start, no lifting foot lever. Also love the auto lift when in needle down mode, it just lifts the foot a little when you stop sewing so you can turn or do aplique easily.

I started out with the Babylock Ellure Plus when a store owner was retiring for just over $1000 about 5 years ago. I bought a used Babylock Ellegante and could really see the difference with an entry level machine and an older top-of-the-line. You really do need a shop that supports you and your machine. I have also just bought a used Janome 11,000 and really like the fact that you don't have a bulky extra embroidery unit to deal with.

My advise is like the others, if you can't afford any more - then the sales people should be able to help you pick one to suit your needs. But please, try out different ones to see what you like and what you Can't live without (auto threader, cutting jump stitches, 8 x 10 hoop, color screen, combining designs on the screen, usb type A port, larger harp area to fit a quilt, etc.)

Remember, if you have not done machine embroidery before, you need stabilizers, many embroidery threads, possibly special bobbin thread, and things you might not think about adding $$ to our habit/hobby.

Best wishes

I have a BabyLock Ellure Plus that I love. I has lots of decorative stitches, embroiders like a dream and is a real workhorse. I bought it for $1500. Didn't mind paying for it because it's probably my last machine. I'm 66 next week.

I love my Baby Lock Quilters choice.