In observance of National Serger Month, I decided to devote a good portion of my time to reviewing and talking about sergers.
Baby Lock Evolution
As part of this month long celebration, I visited the serger department at Cynthia’s Fine Fabrics in Tamarac, Florida, where I reviewed several sergers, including the Baby Lock Evolution.
At A Glance
Baby Lock Evolution is self lubricating
When I first saw the Evolution, the absence of tension dials immediately stood out. I don’t come across too many sergers with an automatic tension adjustment feature and when I do, I am almost overcome by an irresistible urge to actually sit down and give them a test run.
When I opened the looper door, I noticed the air threading mechanism along with a big sign that says DO NOT OIL, a clear indication that the Baby Lock Evolution is self lubricating… a definite plus.
In addition to the air threading mechanism, a threading guide and a lever to set the machine for serging or threading are also found inside the looper door.
Thread spool pins on top of the Evolution
The next thing that caught my attention was the number of thread spool pins on top of the Evolution. There are a total of eight spool pins, two for the lower loopers.
The remaining threads used to create the different stitch options available on the Evolution. Each spool pin is labeled, identifying the thread position … chain or overlock needle and chain or overlock looper … making it easy to change threading patterns in order to achieve the desired stitch overlock or chain stitch.
The Baby Lock Evolution also has a large work area and three bright LED lights that illumine the work area without casting any shadows at all.
Features
- Exclusive Wave Stitch and Reverse Wave Stitch
- Serging options from 2 to 8 threads
- Chain/cover stitch functions include single, double and triple cover stitch
- Overlock stitch functions
- Flatlock stitch functions
- Heavy duty cutting system
- Automatic rolled hem stitch
- Dial adjustable built-in rolled hem
- Side thread cutter
- 3 bright LED lights
- Snap on presser feet
- On board ribbon/tape guide
3 bright LED lights
Working on the Baby Lock Evolution
The exclusive Baby Lock ExtraordinAir threading system and tubular loopers make threading the lower loopers of the Baby Lock Evolution as easy as can be.
The ExtraordinAir threading system even helps with threading the needles. The challenge comes when deciding which stitch to use and then identifying the correct thread cone position for the desired stitch choice.
The spool pins are labelled, however, taking the guesswork out of performing this task.
The wave stitch feature sews in both the forward and reverse modes and the differential feed helps make sewing curves like necklines, sleeve cuffs and the like a breeze.
The slot built into the presser foot enables you to attach elastic or ribbon with ease and making the perfect rolled hem is as simple as can be.
For this review, I sampled the three thread, one needle overcast stitch. The Baby Lock Evolution is fast, quiet and you can tell by the feel that it is a solid, well-built machine. While sampling the stitches produced by the Baby Lock Evolution, I toyed around with the stitch length and width a bit.
Balanced and well defined stitches
I found that the stitches were balanced and well defined regardless of the setting.
Fabrics
- Natural fibers/cotton-linen-wool
- Fine fabrics/silk-satin-taffeta/velvet
- Knits
- Synthetic fabrics/blends-rayon-polyester
- Leather/suede
- Fur
- Reptile skin
- Canvas/Twill
- Plastic/Rubber
- Extra thick fabrics or multiple layers
Accessories
Standard accessories:
- Instruction manual
- Quick reference threading guide
- Flat table for chain/cover stitching
- Lint brush/needle insert tool
- Extra needles
- 2 Screwdrivers
- Tweezers
- Extra pper cutting blade
- Needle threader
- 2 Overlock needle screws
- 2 Chain/cover stitch needle screws
- Looper threading tool
- Soft cover
- Mounting bolt with washer
- 8 Thread nets
- 8 Spool caps
- 8 Sponge disks
- 8 Cone holders
Optional accessories:
- Beading foot
- 2 belt loop binders ¾” and 1 ½”
- Blindhem foot
- Clear foot
- Cording foot
- 2 double fold bias binders (28mm and 36mm)
- Elastic foot
- 3 elastic gatherers (7.5mm, 10mm and 13mm)
- Fabric guide
- Gathering guide
- Lace applicator foot
- Pintuck foot with guide
- 2 plain hemmers (¼” and ½”)
- Ruffling foot
- 3 single downturn fellers (¼”, 5/8” and 1”)
- 2 single fold bias binders (28mm and 40mm)
- Inspiration guide
- Gold standard comprehensive care program
Maintenance
| After each use | Monthly* | Once Each Year** | As Needed | |
| Clean race hook and feed dogs | ||||
| Wipe head with soft dry cloth | ||||
| Wipe head with soft damp cloth | ||||
| Lubricate | ||||
| Service by sewing machine repair professional |
Tying Off The Loose Ends
When it comes to using a serger, you want to find one that is easy to thread, does not need a lot of extra effort on your part to get the job done, and of course, gives you excellent stitch quality each and every time.
You also want one that is solidly built and one that does not make a lot of noise while you are sewing. The Baby Lock Evolution has all those qualities.
I give it four stars for ease of operation because there are so many different available stitch options.
With this many choices, I don’t think this is a good choice for someone who is a beginner or someone who has been sewing for a long time, but has limited or no experience working on a serger.
The tubular looper is a great advantage when it comes to threading, and the ExtraordinAir push button air threading system is a definite plus.
I like the feel of this machine and certainly appreciate the on board aids like the bright lighting, the fact that each spool pin tells you whether it hold looper or needle thread, the on board thread cutter, and the easy to use differential feed, stitch selection dial and stitch length adjustment control.
On board thread cutter
There are far too many options here for a beginner to try to negotiate, but anyone who is already accustomed to working on a serger and ready to step up their game will probably be very happy with the Baby Lock Evolution.
I do not, however, recommend this multi-functional serger for anyone who intends to use it just for finishing seams.
If, however, you are ready to explore the possibilities of doing more than the traditional tasks home sewers use sergers for and are ready to take on lots of new and different challenges and do many more things with your next serger, the Baby Lock Evolution could very well be the perfect addition to your sewing room.
If you are in the market for a new serger and not quite sure if the Evolutipn is right for you, I suggest you visit your local authorized Baby Lock dealer and ask for a demonstration.