Baby Lock Aventura Review

I had been reading about the new line of Baby Lock sewing, embroidery and quilting machines for several months. Finally, on a visit to Laura’s Sew and Vac in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, I had an opportunity to review the Baby Lock Aventura, an affordable, user friendly sewing and embroidery machine.

At A Glance

Baby Lock Aventura

When I first saw the Aventura, I thought it looked very much like the other machines in the new Baby Lock line, the Flourish, which is an embroidery only machine and the Soprano, a sewing and quilting machine. All three machines are white with gold accents.

On board stitch selection guide

a USB port

The Aventura has a detachable embroidery unit and a USB port on the side which can be used to store one embroidery designs and to download software updates. There is also a full color LCD touch screen; an advanced on board automatic needle threader; a knee lift; a drop in bobbin; an on board stitch selection guide; on board threading and bobbin winding guides; and seam guides on the needle plate.

In addition to all these features, the Baby Lock Aventura also comes with a series of function buttons that control start/stop; needle up/down; thread tie off and cut; automatic presser lift; design stop; reverse/lock stitch and a variable speed slider.

Features

• 300 Built-in stitches utility and decorative stitches
  • 99 Utility stitches
  • 10 one-step buttonholes
  • 94 Decorative stitches
  • 17 Satin stitches
  • 18 Decorative satin stitches
  • 14 Cross stitches
  • 58 Combinable Utility stitches
• Embroidery Designs
  • 141 on board embroidery designs
  • 90 Baby Lock exclusive designs
  • 140 Frame combinations
  • 13 font styles including one exclusive script
  • 5 Built-in alphanumeric fonts
• Adjustable stitch length and width up to 7mm
• Store personal stitch settings
• Reset key
• Decorative stitch editing capabilities
  • Back to the Beginning key, returns to the beginning of a decorative stitch pattern
  • Edit and combine Character/ Decorative stitches
  • 15 Memory Pockets for Character/ Decorative stitches
  • Step Stitch Pattern
• Mirror-image
• Variable needle positions
• Programmable needle up/down
• Lateral and diagonal feeding
• Automatic Fabric Sensor System
• Fully automatic built-in darning
• Twin needle settings
• 8.3″ Workspace to the right of the needle
• 2 LED Enhanced lights that illuminate the needle and work area
• Up to 6-1/4″ x 10-1/4″ (160mm x 260mm) embroidery field
• 1MB memory storage for embroidery
• Reads embroidery designs with a stitch capacity of up to 200,000 stitches per design
• Color LCD Touch Screen shows:
  • Estimated embroidery time display and stitch count
  • Needle position placement (1,10, or 100 stitch increments)
  • Measurements displayed in inches or millimeters (mm)
  • Thread color indicator
  • On-screen hoop size indicator
  • Low bobbin thread indicator o 300 color names
• Embroidery speed up to 850 stitches per minute
• 9-point trial check points
• Color LCD touch screen (3 3⁄4″ X 2 1⁄4″)
• Advanced needle threading system
• Automatic thread tension control
• Automatic thread cutter
• Quick-Set, top loading bobbin
• Automatic Fabric Sensor System
• Advanced pivoting feature
• Quick-Set bobbin winder
• Automatic sensors
  • Upper and lower thread sensors
  • On-screen hoop sensor
• Combine embroidery designs on screen
• Multi-line text capabilities
• Font editing
• Size and select letters individually
• Ability to split text
• Multi-color text
• Multiple fonts
• Character/Text array function
• Character spacing
• Horizontal and vertical options on Japanese fonts
• 1°, 10°, and 90° Pattern rotation
• Design enlargement and reduction (up to 20% down to 10%)
• Mirror imaging
• Design color selections
• One-touch function buttons
  • Start/Stop
  • Reverse sewing
  • Needle up/down
  • Reinforcement key
  • Thread cutter
• Automatic presser foot lift
• Ergonomic hands-free presser foot lift
• Low bobbin thread indicator
• Needle plate with scale in inches and centimeters
• Electronic foot control
• Free arm with drop feed lever
• Hard cover carrying case with storage
• Two on board accessory storage compartments
• Programmable needle up/down
• Quick-Set bobbin winder
• On board help messages
• On board animated operational guide
• Ability to convert to 18 different languages

Working on the Baby Lock Aventura

The extremely user friendly on board threading and bobbin winding guides are easy to understand and follow, so much so that I believe a child as young as ten years of age can follow them with ease.

Once the machine is threaded and the bobbin in place, the next step is to determine whether you want to use the Aventura in sewing or embroidery mode.

The main thing to remember is that the Aventura will not operate in the sewing mode if the embroidery unit is attached. To use the sewing mode, it is first necessary to turn the machine off before removing the embroidery unit.

Selecting a stitch option starts with using the menu selection feature, located on the bottom row on the column. After the menu category is selected, use the left and right arrows to move through the stitch options until the stitch you want appears on the screen. Then press ‘OK’.

When a stitch is selected, an image of the stitch appears in the screen along with information about the correct presser foot to use and the default settings for the stitch length, width and tension.

If you find it necessary to adjust the stitch length, width or tension, it is necessary to first touch the icon at the upper right corner of the screen.

This will open a menu that will allow you to make any adjustments to the default settings that you need to in order to achieve any customized stitches you want. Once these settings are adjusted, you can save them for future use.

The Baby Lock Aventura is solidly built and runs smoothly, literally humming as it sews. The stitches produced are sharp, well defined and secure.

Sharp, well defined and secure stitches

Flawless end result

When operating in the embroidery mode, the process for selecting and adjusting designs is easier than I have seen in very long time. Again, I am tempted to say that a child in elementary school might be able to operate this machine with ease.

But this is not a toy, and therefore, should not be operated by a child without very close adult supervision. For this review, I decided to combine two designs – a frame and a monogram.

I had never before used this machine and did not take the time to read the manual before attempting to create this design. The easy to use on board tools made the process so uncomplicated, I felt completely at ease. The end result was flawless.

Fabrics

• Natural fibers/cotton-linen-wool
• Fine fabrics/silk-satin-taffeta/velvet
• Knits
• Synthetic fabrics/blends-rayon-polyester
• Denim
• Upholstery
• Leather/suede
• Fur
• Reptile skin
• Canvas/Twill
• Plastic/Rubber
• Extra thick fabrics or multiple layers

Accessories

Standard accessories:

• 13 Snap-on presser feet
  • Buttonhole foot
  • Overcasting foot
  • Embroidery foot
  • Monogramming foot
  • Zipper foot
  • Zigzag foot
  • Blind stitch foot
  • Button foot
  • Open toe foot
  • Teflon foot
  • Stitch guide foot
  • Adjustable zipper/piping foot
  • Free-motion open toe
• Knee lift
• Hard cover
• Embroidery bobbin thread
• Extra bobbins
• Seam ripper
• Twin needle
• Embroidery hoops and grids
  • 6-1/4″ x 10-1/4″ (160mm x 260mm)
  • 5″ x 7″ (130mm x 180mm)
• Owner’s manual
• Quick reference guide

Optional accessories:

• Embroidery hoops
  • 6″ x 6″ (150mm x 150mm)
  • 4″ x 4″ (100mm x 100mm)
  • 1″ x 2-1/2″ (20mm x 60mm)
• Extension table
• Stylus

Maintenance

Tying Off The Loose Ends

The Baby Lock Aventura is the first of its kind – at least as far as I am concerned. I have reviewed high end sewing and embroidery machines that do not feel as though they are built as well as this one.

This machine is affordable, solid, quiet and extremely user friendly. From threading the machine and winding the bobbin to selecting and executing the stitches, the Baby Lock Aventura is quite possibly the most user friendly affordably priced sewing and embroidery machine.

Although it is definitely easy enough for a child to learn to master, and despite the reasonable price tag, I do not believe a child should be allowed to use this machine without constant close adult supervision.

There are many things about this machine that would attract the imaginative child and tempt him or her to play with the many embroidery designs.

Like any other computerized sewing machine, however, I feel very strongly that children should not be allowed to operate this machine before first mastering all of the basics of sewing machine operation and care.

With this in mind, I think the Baby Lock Aventura is a good machine for the teen, young adult and adult student. It is designed to be user friendly, which is a major pre-requisite for any beginner.

My only hesitation if you will, is the fact that adjusting the stitch length and width involves that extra step of first going into a separate menu.

This, however, is a minor inconvenience, especially when taken into consideration with all of the other major advantages associated with working on the Aventura.

I thoroughly enjoyed working on the Baby Lock Aventura… not only because it is so user friendly, but also because it is so well built. Just by listening to it while it is running, you can tell that this machine is extremely well built and built to last a long, long time.

If a new combination sewing and embroidery machine is in your future, you owe it to yourself to visit your local Baby Lock dealer and ask for a demonstration of the Aventura.

Try it out for yourself and compare it to other sewing and embroidery machines before making a final decision as to which one you will take home.

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