Baby Lock Celebrate Serger Machine

Angela Huffman, host of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting PBS show and founder/owner of Quilted Joy.

The Quilt Fairies and I sew on Baby Lock machines every week, and the Celebrate is the one we reach for when someone is finishing garment seams or quilt bindings for the first time. If you are trying to decide between this and a machine that air threads the needles too, call us at (502) 718-7148. Or send us an email. We will tell you honestly whether the step up is worth the money for the sewing you actually do.

Jet-Air Threading™: one lever, both loopers

Touch the lever and air carries the thread through both loopers. They are tubular, with no exposed thread path and no guides to hook a thread around, which is why there is no order to get wrong. The needles have their own threading system: hold the threader in place and it takes the thread through for you. This one feature decides how often a serger gets used, because changing thread color stops being a reason to put the project off.

Tension you can see and set by hand

The Micromatic Twin Cam tension system keeps all four threads pulling evenly and stops the tangles that show up as loops on the underside of a seam. The dials sit on the front where you can reach them. Manual tension has a reputation it does not deserve here: when you move from quilting cotton to a knit to a slippery rayon, you can see exactly what you changed, and you can change it back. Stitch length is dial adjustable too, and it includes an automatic rolled hem setting that retracts the stitch width finger for you.

Knits that lie flat and ruffles that gather evenly

The differential feed uses a single unit feed dog mechanism that moves as one piece, which feeds more strongly and more consistently than a two-part feed. Set it to gather and a sheer ruffle comes out evenly spaced down its whole length instead of bunching at one end. Set it the other way and a knit seam comes out flat instead of wavy. The fabric support system holds the stitch flat and balanced while it forms, with built-in stitch fingers that move along with the knife blade.

Built to stay in time

The looper drive system holds the loopers in alignment so they stay timed. Timing is the part of a serger that is expensive to put right once it drifts, and it is the difference between a machine you keep and a machine you replace. Vertical needle penetration sets the needles straight down rather than on a slant, so they are less likely to deflect and shove your fabric off line. Neither of these is something you notice on the first day. They are the reason a Celebrate is still sewing well in ten years.

Six millimeters of clearance and a light on the needle

The presser foot lifts to 6mm, which is enough to get four layers of quilting cotton, terry or a lofty fleece under it without a fight. The advanced knife driving system takes a larger cutting bite so thick fabric cuts cleanly, and it leaves you a clear view of the trim line while you sew. One LED sits over the needle so the presser foot is not throwing a shadow across your stitching, and at 16 pounds the machine is light enough to move off the table when you need the space back.