I love using my Babylock Ellegante Sewing Embroidery Machine. I must admit, for basic sewing I still turn to my trusty old Janome machine, but I love doing the fancy stuff on the Ellegante. It is rather easy to use. The computerized system is easy to use even if you are somewhat technologically challenged (My mom can use it with only a little help and she still struggles with email). Stitch Performance The designs are very nice and have such depth. The end product looks every bit as good as something you would buy from a professional embroidery shop. Ease of Use This is my first (and only) embroidery machine I have ever used. My mom bought it for me second hand. I was able to figure out how to set it up and use it without any help. The instruction manual is very easy to understand and thorough. Quite a few designs come with the machine. They cover a fairly wide range of categories so you have loads of choices and do not have to go out first thing and spend loads of money buying new design cards. Although, on that note, one disadvantage of this machine is that the Babylock cards are hard to find and expensive. Somewhere along the line I discovered Brother design cards work in the Babylock Ellegante. This helped a lot as those cards are a bit easier to find. My only major problem with this machine is that twice I had to have the lower tension adjusted. This is not something you can just fix by adjusting a setting- you have to take it into the shop and have an expert do it. I am not sure if it was a flaw with my particular machine or the Ellegantes in general. The last time I had it done was several years ago, so maybe it wont happen again (the first two times were within the first year I owned it).

j9j

San Antonio, TX

**Features** - Computerized - Needle Threader - Needle Up/Down Setting - Embroidery Stitches - One step buttonhole - Drop-In bobbin - Free Arm - Adjustable Stitch Length and Width - Adjustable Presser Foot Pressure - Adjustable Needle Position - Embroidery Machine - Auto Threading I bought the BabyLock Ellegante for the Embroidery Machine feature. For me, key items were: USB connectivity, auto trim, large embroidery stitching area. The BLG meet my criteria and more! Designs can be brought one at time on the LCD screen, or combined and stitched out on the 12 X 7 hoop. There are also three smaller hoops.Design measurements show on the LCD screen and indicate which size hoop is required for stitching out the selected design.There are three stitch speeds and the embroidery foot height can be adjusted for thicker projects, such as quilts. If the stitching is interrupted, you can begin the stitching again at the last stitch completed. No special thread is required, but I choose to use NEB prewound bobbins.This model included 416 built in embroidery designs, including 226 Exclusives (32 Nancy Zieman designs), one large script alphabet and several lettering styles. On the sewing side - 118 utility, heirloom and quilting stitches.The manuals are easy to follow and include a color thread conversion chart.There are 13 presser feet, including an automatic button hole foot, walking foot & 1/4" foot. This machine does an excellent job both sewing and embroidering.For sewing, you can use the foot control or the start/stop button. For the S/S feature, you select the speed, which will remain constant until changed. This machine is very user friendly and there is nothing I dislike about this machine.A Nancy Zieman model of the Ellegante is now available which offers more exclusive designs,

RogerDodger

Mayer, MN

I purchased the Babyloc Elegante embroidery machine used on Ebay, believe it or not, and I have never been happier with a machine before.  This is the most user-friendly machine I have ever used.  It pretty much thinks for you and tells you what you are doing wrong before you make any major mistakes.  I had an old Husqvarna machine that I loved, but this Babyloc can sew circles around it. I absolutely love to machine embroidery and I have used it non-stop for almost a year with only minor problems that were easily fixed.  The self-threading feature is a delight, but if I had to say something negative about the machine it would be that the self-threader is easy to snag on something and has to be replaced. Of course, you can always manually thread it, but once you have a machine do it for you, you never look back! I think Babyloc is truly a great machine and would highly recommend it to anyone. I never had a computerized embroidery machine before this one, and have become quite a whiz all on my own just by the book and machine.  The software is adequate to get you started as well.

jaxrn

Orlando, FL

I love this machine. It does everything you could ever want to do with a machine. It even tells you how to use it.  I am scatter brained and lose "how to" books all the time.  This machine has all the how to's on the machine's computer screen.  I've been sewig for 40+ years and wish I could have had this machine years ago.  It was worth the price.  I will pass it on in my will.

grannystitches

New Braunfels, TX

Wish I had had this machine at home for the last 4 years!  My Quilter's Choice, also a BL machine, has always been my best friend but my Ellgante has pushed it aside. Sooo many decorative stitches..I never get tierd of those.  Fast and quiet. Super easy to use embroidery system even for a computer dummy like me.  Add the optional extention table and your are in quilters dream land!

Meowser

Bow, WA