Baby Lock Denim Pro (BL18)

The repairman sold me this machine because he didn’t want to bother fixing my Singer (the same model I learned on in home ec). I learned later he uses this marketing technique with other products he carries. Anyway, the Baby Lock Denim Pro has been a pain in the neck, especially when I joined a quilting group and started using it a couple days a week. The thread breaks easily. The bobbin jams. I need to clean it daily or it gives me trouble. And it certainly has never sewn through the eight layers of denim as touted by the dealer. The veteran seamstresses in my group have tried to help me understand the inner mojo of this machine to no avail. I’ve toyed with taking it into the desert and shooting it, but an even more satisfying option would be to take it back to the dealer and throw it at him.

I purchased this machine because both my Singer (an early 80s model given to me by a home ec teacher) and my Free-Westinghouse were damaged to the point where buying a new machine was more cost effective. It cost me ~$200. Due to the way Baby Lock markets their machines it was difficult to determine how good of a price this was, but it is clearly superior to anything you can get at Wal-Mart. Other than the unfortunate bright yellow and the outline of a woman in long dress from the waist down (I got the 18A since they ran out of the 18 after I had already put money down on it) and the plastic shell feeling a bit thinner than the 18 this is a solid machine. 4-step buttonhole, solid starter attachments, metal gearing, etc. Where this machine really shines is its ability to sew through several layers of tough fabric. I’ve used it to sew through four layers of flat tubular webbing and six layers of a heavy cotton blend. If you use your machine for more…unusual…projects, or sew a lot of heavy-duty materials, this is a good choice.

The Baby Lock BL 18 is my very first machine and I love it. It’s very easy to use and it’s powerful enough to do all of my sewing jobs. I have a good feeling that this machine will be in my family for years to come.

Denim Pro by Baby Lock is a no fuss, no muss type of machine. It comes with 5 snap on feet and features only 15 stitches. It has a needle threader, thread cutter, and foot control. In other words it’s a pretty basic machine. The manual is clear and it’s a really simple to use.