MFG SKU: BLTA2
Baby Lock Altair 2 Embroidery & Sewing Machine
Baby Lock Altair 2 Embroidery & Sewing Machine
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.
Have you seen this machine for less?
Our Price Match Guarantee
Machine Information
Special Savings: buy the Altair 2 now and we will send you a $1,100 Quilted Joy gift card to spend on fabric, thread, stabilizer, designs or classes. Limited time offer*.
Photograph your fabric, then put the design exactly where you want it
The Altair 2 is the machine where design placement stops being a guess. You hoop your garment, take a picture of it with your phone, and the photo appears on the machine's 10.1 inch screen in full color. You then slide the design around on that image until it sits exactly where you want it, and the machine stitches it there. Underneath that there is a 9.5 by 14 inch embroidery field, 774 sewing stitches, and 11.25 inches of open bed to the right of the needle.
Angela Huffman, host of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting PBS show and founder/owner of Quilted Joy.
A machine at this level is a game changer and the biggest feature is ease of use. You'll love the monitoring app, pivot feature, guide beam, giant hoop, ability to set designs using your phone's camera and MORE! Call the machine matchmaker fairies and set up a time to sit down at one, or call and we will walk you through it. We'd love to show you what it does that the Aerial below it does not and what the Radiance could do that is one step above it. Call (502) 718-7148 or send us an email. We ship these all over the country.
★★★★★ 4.9 stars on Google and a 98% recommend rate on Facebook
“Angela and the staff are very knowledgeable and helpful!”
Ellen M., Facebook recommendation
Say hello to the Baby Lock Altair 2
Three ways to place a design
The Altair 2 gives you all three, and each is right for a different job. IQ Intuition Positioning is the phone app: photograph the hooped fabric through one of the coded hoops and the picture comes across wirelessly, so you place the design against the real garment. Two-Point Positioning works at the machine with no phone at all, aligning a design between two reference points you set. And the Needle Beam shines an LED point on the fabric from the included embroidery foot so you can see the needle position before you start. All four included hoops are the coded kind the app reads.
Draw it yourself with IQ Designer
IQ Designer turns the 10.1 inch screen into a drawing surface. Sketch a shape with the stylus, scan a piece of artwork using the scanning hoop, load a file from a USB stick, or send an image across wirelessly, and the machine converts what you gave it into stitches. That sits alongside 534 built-in designs, 140 frame patterns and 30 embroidery fonts. When you resize a design the Altair 2 will take it up to 200 percent or down to 60, and it will hold a design of up to 700,000 stitches in a single hooping. Now that is a FEAT!
Eleven and a quarter inches, and 774 stitches
Set the embroidery unit aside and there is a full quilting machine here. You have 11.25 inches to the right of the needle, so a rolled quilt goes through comfortably, and the machine runs at 1,050 stitches a minute. There are 774 built-in stitches and 14 one-step buttonhole styles. The hands-free knee lift comes with it, NeverMiss needle threader threads the needle for you, the thread cutter is automatic and can be switched off when you would rather it did not, and the Quick-Set bobbin has its own sensor.
Four hoops and fourteen feet, in the box
Four hoops come with the machine, and every one of them is an IQ Intuition Positioning hoop with a grid: 9.5 by 14, 9.5 by 9.5, 5 by 7 and 4 by 4. Fourteen presser feet come along too, including the embroidery foot that carries the Needle Beam. Designs load over wifi or from either of the two USB ports, in .pes, .phc, .pec or .dst.
Let it tell you when it needs you
The IQ Intuition Monitoring app is a separate thing from the positioning app, and on a machine that can run a 700,000 stitch design it earns its keep. It shows you the remaining time for the color being stitched and for the whole design, tells you which threads are in use, and sends your phone a note when the machine stops for a thread change, finishes, or runs into trouble. Progress keeps updating even after you close the app, so you can start a long design and go do something else.
Where the Altair 2 sits in the line
Below it, the Aerial is a fine machine with an 8 by 12 inch field and a 7 inch screen, and it will do beautiful work. Moving up to the Altair 2 brings a wider 9.5 by 14 field, four coded hoops instead of two, the 10.1 inch screen, IQ Designer for making your own designs, and the camera app for placing them. Above it, the Radiance adds Baby Lock's largest hoop, a projector that puts the design on the fabric itself, and StitchSync stitch regulation for free-motion quilting. Any of us here will happily talk you through which of the three fits the work you actually do.
Specifications
| At a glance |
|
|---|---|
| Embroidery |
|
| Design placement |
|
| Sewing and quilting |
|
| Connectivity |
|
| Good to know |
|
| Dimensions |
|
| Warranty |
|
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 with this much in it those classes are how you get to the good parts quickly.
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
Customer Reviews
I absolutely love this machine. I smile with every stitch. I knew right away after talking with Angela that she was the one I wanted to buy my machine from. She really knows the brand and I felt I was buying from an expert. Thank you so much
Other Machines to Consider
-
Pfaff Creative Icon 3 Sewing and Embroidery Machine
Contact us for pricing -
Baby Lock Venture 2 Multi Needle Embroidery Machine
Contact us for pricing
Baby Lock Altair 2 Embroidery & Sewing Machine — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Baby Lock Altair 2?
The Altair 2 sews, quilts and embroiders. It embroiders a 9.5 by 14 inch field at 1,050 stitches a minute with 534 built-in designs and 30 fonts, and the sewing side has 774 stitches, 14 one-step buttonholes and 11.25 inches of workspace to the right of the needle. The screen is a 10.1 inch color touchscreen.
What is the IQ Intuition Positioning app?
It is how you place a design on the actual garment rather than on a diagram. You hoop your fabric in one of the four included coded hoops, photograph it with your phone or tablet, and the picture comes across wirelessly to the machine's screen in full color. You slide the design around on that image until it sits where you want it, and the machine stitches it there.
How is that different from Two-Point Positioning and the Needle Beam?
The Altair 2 has all three, and each suits a different job. Two-Point Positioning works at the machine with no phone: you set two reference points and it aligns the design between them. The Needle Beam is an LED point shone onto the fabric from the included embroidery foot so you can see exactly where the needle will land. The positioning app is the one that shows you the whole garment on screen.
Can I create my own designs on the Altair 2?
Yes, with IQ Designer. You can draw a shape on the screen with the stylus, scan a piece of artwork, load a file from a USB stick, or send an image across wirelessly, and the machine converts it into stitches you can then edit and combine with the built-in designs.
What hoops come with it?
Four, and all four are IQ Intuition Positioning hoops with grids: 9.5 by 14, 9.5 by 9.5, 5 by 7 and 4 by 4 inches. Quilters tend to use the 9.5 inch square most, because a finished block drops straight into it.
How is the Altair 2 different from the Aerial?
The Aerial is a lovely machine and does beautiful work with an 8 by 12 inch field and a 7 inch screen. Moving up to the Altair 2 brings a wider 9.5 by 14 field, four coded hoops instead of two, the 10.1 inch screen, IQ Designer for making your own designs, and the camera app for placing them. Call us at (502) 718-7148 and we will help you work out which fits what you make.
Does the Altair 2 have a stitch regulator or a fabric projector?
No. Those two features start with the Radiance, which projects designs onto the fabric itself and includes StitchSync stitch regulation for free-motion quilting. The Altair 2 does have 11.25 inches of workspace and 774 stitches, so it quilts very comfortably.
Can I watch a design while it stitches?
Yes. The IQ Intuition Monitoring app shows the time remaining for the current thread color and for the whole design, tells you which threads are in use, and sends your phone a note when the machine stops for a thread change, finishes, or needs you. Progress keeps updating even after you close the app.
Can I pay for the Altair 2 over time?
Yes. Shop Pay Installments is available at checkout, so you can split the purchase into payments. On a machine at this level we are also glad to talk options through by phone at (502) 718-7148.
What warranty comes with the Altair 2?
Baby Lock covers it 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.
