MFG SKU: BLAE
Baby Lock Aerial Embroidery and Sewing Machine with 60 days of FREE online classes
Baby Lock Aerial Embroidery and Sewing Machine with 60 days of FREE online classes
We can't wait to get you sewing!
Quilted Joy is the home of the world famous Quilt Fairies and is led by Angela Huffman, host of PBS' Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting. Buy your machine from people who sew on these machines every day.
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Machine Information
Eight inches by twelve, and impressive sewing features underneath
This machine not only embroiders well, it sews well, and you'll love the big hoops for your projects. The Aerial embroiders an 8 by 12 inch field at 1,050 stitches a minute, and the sewing side has 757 built-in stitches, 11.25 inches of workspace and an automatic fabric sensor that sets pressure and tension for you.
Angela Huffman, host of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting PBS show and founder/owner of Quilted Joy.
The Aerial has so many features to love. Come sit down at it, or call us and we will walk you through all of our favorite features and why they make sewing on the Aerial so enjoyable. We will tell you honestly whether the Vesta below it does everything you actually need or if you should consider bumping up to the Luna or the Altair 2. Call (502) 718-7148 or send us an email. We ship these all over the country, and have a mountain of happy customers as well.
★★★★★ 4.9 stars on Google and a 98% recommend rate on Facebook
“Best customer service I have received in a retail setting in a long time!”
Jeannette M., Facebook recommendation
The hoop is what you are buying
Embroidery field size decides what you can stitch in one hooping, and rehooping is where designs go crooked. The Aerial gives you 8 by 12 inches, which covers a jacket back, a large monogram on a bath towel or a tote panel in a single pass. Both hoops come in the box, the 8 by 12 and a 5 by 7 with grids, and an on-screen hoop sensor tells you which one the design needs before you start.
Seven inches of color, and drag and drop
The screen is a 7 inch color touchscreen showing 260,000 colors, which matters because you are placing designs on it. You drag a design where you want it, combine designs on screen, rotate by one degree, ten or ninety, mirror it, resize it, and change the thread colors before a single stitch goes in. It shows you the estimated stitch time and the color sequence, and a starting point key lines characters up for you instead of by eye.
Eleven and a quarter inches, lit end to end
There is 11.25 inches of open bed to the right of the needle, the same as the Anthem and the Ballad, so a rolled up quilt actually fits through. Enhanced Stadium Lighting runs ten inches of high color-rendering LED around the needle, which is the difference between guessing at navy on navy and seeing it. Add the hands-free knee lift and the presser foot that lifts 10mm automatically and 13mm by hand, and thick seams won't intimidate this machine at all.
The machine handles the fiddly parts
The NeverMiss needle threader was named that for a reason. It threads the needle automatically and without fail. The Automatic Fabric Sensor System reads what is under the foot and sets the presser foot pressure and the tension itself, so moving from quilting cotton to a knit happens flawlessly. Upper and lower thread sensors stop the machine so you can restart your design with ease. The bobbin is a Quick-Set drop-in with its own sensor and an independent winder with variable speed.
262 designs, 19 fonts, and 757 stitches
Keep two numbers straight, because they are different things. On the embroidery side there are 262 built-in designs, 165 of them Baby Lock exclusives, plus 19 embroidery fonts, a large floral vine alphabet and 140 frame combinations. On the sewing side there are 757 built-in stitches and 5 sewing alphabets, including 138 utility stitches, 442 decorative and 14 one-step buttonhole styles. You can also load your own designs with a USB.
Where the Aerial sits in the line
Below it is the Vesta, and the honest way to describe the gap is that the Vesta is an embroidery machine that sews, while the Aerial is a full-size sewing machine that also embroiders large. Moving up buys a 6¼ by 10¼ inch field becoming 8 by 12, 850 stitches a minute becoming 1,050, and the sewing side going from 301 stitches to 757. Above it is the Luna and the Altair 2 which both have a needle beam not found on the Aerial. If you want a stitch regulator or a projector, neither of these has one. That is the Radiance.
Specifications
| At a glance |
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|---|---|
| Embroidery |
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| Sewing and quilting |
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| Threading and controls |
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| What it does not do |
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| Dimensions |
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| Warranty |
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Warranty service is handled here in Louisville by our own factory-certified technicians, so your machine does not have to travel to a stranger when it needs attention. If you live outside of Louisville, any Baby Lock dealer in the country will service your machine under warranty. Every machine we sell also comes with owner classes, and on a machine like this one those classes are most of what turns it into finished work.
Additional Information
| Product type | Sewing & Embroidery Machine |
| Brand | Baby Lock |
| Manufacturer | Baby Lock |
Easy for Everyone
Buying a machine is a big decision. The Quilt Fairies make every step of it simple.
Price Match Guarantee
Found it for less from another authorized dealer? Tell us and we'll work to match it.
Trade In & Trade Up
Your current machine can help pay for your next one. Ask us for a trade-in quote.
Talk to a Sewist
Not sure which machine fits? The Quilt Fairies stitch on these machines every day. Call (502) 718-7148.
Flexible Financing
Spread your purchase into monthly payments with Shop Pay Installments. See your estimated payment right on this page.
Trusted by Sewists from Coast to Coast
Their response time and shipping was so quick! I received my order three days early and I live on the other side of the country.Laura W. · Google review
My orders always arrive in 2 days, with nice notes that inspire me every time. They always have exactly what I need.Eleanor P. · Google review
No other online quilt shop or local shop compares with the enthusiasm, willingness to help and great resources offered at Quilted Joy.Deborah B. · Oklahoma
Even though I’m in Texas they made it very easy. They responded quickly by email and got me enrolled. I loved the class and learned so much. 10/10Leslie W. · Texas
This company is FANTASTIC. Not only does the online shop have fast shipping and exactly what I needed, but there’s so much helpful quilting information.Kathy V. · Google review
The “quilt fairies” truly are amazing. They have made me feel so welcome and have been incredibly patient with me every step of the way.Ella S. · Google review
Reviews
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Baby Lock Aerial Embroidery and Sewing Machine with 60 days of FREE online classes — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Baby Lock Aerial?
The Aerial is a combination machine that both sews and embroiders. It embroiders up to an 8 by 12 inch field at 1,050 stitches a minute with 262 built-in designs and 19 embroidery fonts, and on the sewing side it has 757 built-in stitches, 11.25 inches of workspace and a 7 inch color touchscreen.
How big is the embroidery field, and what hoops come with it?
The maximum embroidery field is 8 by 12 inches, which is 200 by 300mm. Two hoops are included with grids: the 8 by 12 and a 5 by 7. An on-screen hoop sensor tells you which hoop a design needs before you start stitching.
Is the Aerial a serious sewing machine, or mainly an embroidery machine?
It is genuinely both, which is unusual. The sewing side has 757 stitches including 138 utility and 442 decorative, 14 one-step buttonhole styles, 5 alphabets, 11.25 inches of workspace, an automatic fabric sensor that sets presser foot pressure and tension for you, automatic drop feed for free motion and a hands-free knee lift. It also includes a quarter inch quilting foot with guide and a free-motion open toe foot.
How is the Aerial different from the Vesta below it?
The simplest way to put it is that the Vesta is an embroidery machine that sews, and the Aerial is a full-size sewing machine that also embroiders large. Moving up takes the embroidery field from 6 and a quarter by 10 and a quarter inches to 8 by 12, the speed from 850 to 1,050 stitches a minute, and the sewing side from 301 stitches to 757. Call us at (502) 718-7148 and we will help you work out which one fits what you actually make.
How is the Aerial different from the Altair 2 above it?
The Altair 2 is about $4,500 more, and it does not buy more speed or more workspace, because both machines run at 1,050 stitches a minute and both have 11.25 inches to the right of the needle. It buys a 9.5 by 14 inch embroidery field, a 10.1 inch screen instead of 7, roughly double the designs and fonts, IQ Designer for creating designs on the screen, and the Needle Beam.
Does the Aerial have a stitch regulator or a projector?
No. Neither the Aerial nor the Altair 2 above it has a stitch regulator or a projector. Those are Radiance features. The Aerial does have automatic drop feed for free-motion quilting, but stitch length in free motion is down to how you move the fabric.
Can I use my own embroidery designs?
Yes. The Aerial takes designs over USB alongside the 262 built in, and you can combine designs on screen, resize them, rotate them by one, ten or ninety degrees, mirror them and change the thread colors before you stitch.
Can I pay for the Aerial over time?
Yes. Shop Pay Installments is available at checkout, so you can split the purchase into payments. You will see the option and the estimated payment on the checkout page. On a machine at this price we are also glad to talk options through by phone at (502) 718-7148.
What warranty comes with the Aerial?
Baby Lock covers the Aerial with a 25 year limited manufacturer's warranty, 10 years on parts, 5 years on the circuit board, 5 years on electrical components and 1 year of labor. Warranty service is done here in Louisville by our own factory-certified technicians, and any Baby Lock dealer in the country can service it under warranty if you live elsewhere.
Why buy the Aerial from Quilted Joy?
Quilted Joy is a family-owned authorized Baby Lock dealer in Louisville, Kentucky, home of the Quilt Fairies and led by Angela Huffman, host of Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting on PBS. On a machine at this level the classes and the service matter as much as the price. We teach owner classes, we service what we sell with our own factory-certified technicians, and you can call and speak to someone who sews on these machines.
