| BabyLock:BLQ2 Quest Plus (Sewing Machine) | | Viewed 1321 time(s) |
6 more reviews for this machine | Review rated Helpful by 1 people Very Helpful by 18 people | | Reviewed by: | water2wine | 
 | | About water2wine | | GA USA | | Member since: 7/6/08 | | Reviews written: 2 | | Sewing skills:Advanced Beginner | | sewing machines reviewed: 2 | | Bio: more... |
| | Posted on: | 5/20/09 0:53 AM | | Approx price paid: | $999 | | Had this machine for: | 1 month | | Recommended? | Yes |  | 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
- Auto Threading
| | What water2wine likes about this machine
This is for the Quest Plus Babylock. I got this machine on a promotion, $999 with 9 free presser feet in addition to the 15 that come with the machine plus a nice extension table. I also got it tax free so you might see if you can get that although I was close to a tax free day but it is worth a try. I was looking for something that could quilt but would also be good for garment construction. Plus I wanted it to be simple and solid because I have kids to teach to sew on something that would not be frustrating and would sew well enough for my use as well. When I purchased this machine I knew I would also be getting an embroidery combo machine as well so I wanted a strong second machine. If I was not wanting the Bernina BSR and the embroidery I would not have bothered. This machine was way more than I really expected it to be and it would be just fine as a main machine, even great as a main machine.
I have kind of been putting it through the ringer trying to get it to hiccup. To date I have found only one and the solution I found on the BL website, when sewing fleece use the overlock stitch. This will only be a problem if you are doing 1/4 or less seams. There is a small bit of a tendency for fleece to get stuck in the feed dog with the straight stitch but if you use the overlock stitch this will not be an issue at all. It happened twice while I was making a fleece doll. Other than that nothing. I have found nothing so far that is an issue with this machine whatsoever. It sews very well, very well. I have made huge fat sandwiches and other huge things including stuffed dolls and the machine can handle it no problem (and I am talking about a stuffed doll not the material before stuffed, not kidding, I just had to see if it could). I am new to quilting so I am not much help here but I had no issues piecing with this machine but I do not know how to free motion quilt so I can't comment on that. There is a nice straight stitch plate and nothing (other than the fleece and I told you the BL website has the solution for that) has gone down that feed dog using a straight stitch and I tried all the fabric I could to see if that would happen. I have been extremely impressed with this machine. It is way better than I expected it to be. The decorative stitches are nice and actually usable, it sews well and can take the thick and heavy stuff no problem, plus it is smooth.
The machine has a nice double thread holder and the nice stitch selector chart that can be tucked away or left up as you prefer. And the machine comes with a straight stitch plate. I appreciated not having to buy that. And can I say I absolutely love the PDQ (Precision Dual-feed Quilting) on this machine. It is pretty much a built in walking foot and I find myself using it all the time it is just so nice and convenient to just pop it down or up as I choose. I tend to use it so much more than I would if I had to install something. This is a huge feature on this machine as far as I am concerned. And I have not found that the PDQ gets in the way at all to me it is no more in the way than a shank would be when it is pulled up. It can be completely moved up out of the way when not in use. I read that someone was worried about free motion quilting and this getting int eh way with visibility. This is not my area of expertise but I can't visibly see how that would be an issue because it lifts up in the back and I have certainly not found it gets in the way when sewing. I don't even know it is there but I remember it is there and because of that I use it all the time. It is a huge convenience to just pull down and very effective. I have not used the Janome 6600 but I would be interested how these two compare the PDQ against the acufeed. The 6600 is what I was considering on paper but I could not get over the fact that I use free arm quite a bit and not having that option was bothering me so I decided not to go there. This machine I think could be a good alternative for those that feel the same way. I did not test the Janome so I do not know how they compare. Had I not been happy with the Quest Plus it was the next place I was headed and I would be giving up the free arm. I am glad I went with the Quest plus because I have already used the free arm quite a bit already. It is also nice to have the knee lift. That was something else I was wanting.
Some things I want to clear up that I have heard. You are able to sew in reverse with this machine without coming to a full stop. It has a button and it works right when you push it even if you are in motion. Also the hesitation I have seen talk of online. There is a slight hesitation but I had to really focus to notice it. It is not really noticeable unless you are really looking for it but when sewing I do not even notice it. If you looked for it and counted one, one thousand by the time you got to two you would be at full speed. I did really check that out because I saw that as an issue people had for the Quest. It seems this has been reduced or else I am just not seeing the issue people see with it. It has not been an issue for me at all, feels just like a normal machine to me in terms of starting off.
The machine came with a class that I have not yet been able to take but I am questioning if I really need it because I have used everything on this machine and it is all pretty simple to understand. I'll probably still take it but if by chance I miss it, no biggie. One thing I do recommend even though it is expensive is the BabyLock Workbook for the Quest (they do not have a Quest Plus and I was told they probably will not make one because there is just not enough difference to warrant it). It's expensive, I got it on a discount, but you want it. It's very helpful. It is not that you need it to run the machine, it is that you want it because you will learn a lot, or at least I did and it really goes through a lot of techniques. It's not completely necessary but it is a nice and useful extra. I was not sorry I had spent the extra money to get mine.
Love this machine. I really did not expect to love it as much as I do. It seemed like the smart buy for what I needed at the price but I got a lot more than I bargained for in quality. I expected ti to be more of a second machine, a good one but not the one I would use the most. I will be using it equal to my embroidery combo machine, the compliment each other well but each have things that the other does not that I really value. For me this machine was a very good choice. I have not yet started teaching my kids to sew yet. I have to be honest I am questioning if I will share this one. A Wall mart cheepie may be in their future, hahaha! Maybe later I will feel less selfish. I am just loving this machine!
I initially made a mistake on the feet number that were extra in the deal but was not able to get into the review. Now I can so I wanted to correct it here too. The machine comes with 15 and I got a promotion with 9 free for a total of 24. The feet rock! Here they are in case someone misses the comments below wanted to just put it in the review as well. Sorry for the initial confusion. These feet are snap on but wider than the regular snap on feet so they only fit this BL and likewise the other BL feet do not fit this machine. The feet are very solid and because they are wider they are more substantial than other snap on feet I have seen. I emailed BL and they informed me that these are all the feet available at this time for this machine. There is no walking foot because it has the built in PDQ that is built in to the machine and tucks up when not in use. It is a wonderful feature! Hope this helps and does not confuse people with the original mistake I made on the feet. The list below should make it clear.
QUEST PLUS comes with
* Blind stitch
* Button fitting
* Buttonhole
* Cording
* Darning/Embroidery
* Free-motion, open toe foot
* Gathering
* Hemmer
* Open toe
* Overcasting
* 1/4" Quilting foot
* Satin stitch
* Straight stitch foot
* Zipper
* Zigzag
THE PROMOTIONAL 9 EXTRA FEET that I got were
* Braiding Foot
* 5/8 edge guide
* Adjustable Guide Foot
* Decorative Stitch Foot
* Decorative Tape Foot
* Chenille Foot
* Edge Joining Foot
* 1/4" Quilting Foot with Guide
* Stitch In The Ditch Foot
Also the machine comes with a nice canvas cover and some handy little tools and of course the very nice sturdy clear extension table that fits on the free arm of the machine (so no bobbin access issues with it) and measures 23 5/8" x 19 5/8".
ETA when quilting and looking for that perfect 1/4 in with the 1/4 guide foot I found I actually had to move the needle over to the right (my right) edge of the needle whole on the foot. If you have it on straight stitch you move the needle by adjusting the stitch width, For my machine a perfect 1/4' is 5.4 using the 1/4 in guide foot. Most people know to test that out but my quilting instructor was telling me to just sew constantly with the difference because it was not that much. I am a very consistent with distance in general and also in sewing widths. The difference adds up after a while. It is worth adjusting it and getting it perfect even if it is a smidgen off. Machine is still great! I am loving it! What water2wine does not like about this machine
The bobbin is hard to get to. You have to pull off the sleeve to get to the bobbin. That kind of bugs me. If you are using the extension table that is not an issue because the access is there so that helps when quilting but I do not use that for just normal sewing. Other thing the feet are wonderful but unlike any other BL feet so you are limited. With 28 feet it would seem nothing is missing and there are a lot of really nice feet for quilting and also sewing. I found a way to get a ruffle foot (086742-P from sewingmachineplus.com ) but to date I have not found a pintuck foot that will fit this machine. It's a foot that might not matter to a lot of people but with the heirloom stitches on the machine to me it makes sense for that foot to be used. There may be a way to get a Pfaf foot with and shank, shoulder or whatever but I have not been able to get a confirmation on that. These are minor things and I realize the machine is geared toward quilting but it is all that I can come up with for a complaint. So far anything else has really been user error type things. It's an great machine and a great deal for the money. If you can get the $999 price with the extra feet and the extension table it is really a deal! | *LOGIN to add a comment to this review
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| Reader Comments |
| patty46 | 5/20/09 | i am very glad to see this review. i have a quest plus on layway at my local dealer. i w/b picking it up on friday. i can't wait. i have a couple of questions if you don't mind ---is the price you paid from a babylock promotion? the reason i ask is because i paid $1099 plus i had to trade in my old ellure. i didn't mind giving up the ellure since it was broken and way too costly to fix. plus my dealer is only giving 9 extra feet not the 15 you mention. i thought all dealers ran the same promotions. is that not the case? anyway, thanks for the good review. i bought it for the quilting features which is what i do. |
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| Dianna Cardwell | 5/20/09 | This is a really nice review,,,, I think you got a great deal! I'm glad you like your new machine. Happy sewing. |
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| RadarRadiance | 5/20/09 | Thank you for the lengthy review, I enjoyed reading all of it and am glad you love the machine. I was surprised that the bobbin is hard to get to....next time I am at a dealer I will look at that. I can't imagine removing a sleeve every time you put in a new bobbin! Other than that...it sounds perfect! |
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| water2wine | 5/20/09 | patty46 this was a promotion. I believe it had to be from BL because the extra feet came in a nice case all labeled by BL so it must have been by them. I bought it just before the 15th of April and the tax free thing was on Bernina I believe and they sold those so I did the maybe i should wait thing and they gave me the free tax. I bought it as the store was closing. I think that is the best time to make a deal ; ) I think the MSR was $2400. You caught me on a mistake it comes with 15 feet and they added the 9 free feet. I will change that. I reversed them. In the end you end up with 24 total feet. I got the numbers reversed. That is a huge difference sorry about that! |
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| water2wine | 5/20/09 | For some reason I can't edit my review at the moment so just to correct my mistake this machine comes with 15 feet and the promotion was 9 extra feet. These feet are snap on but wider than the regular snap on feet so they only fit this BL and likewise the other BL feet do not fit this machine. I emailed BL and they informed me that these are all the feet available at this time for this machine.
COMES WITH
* Blind stitch
* Button fitting
* Buttonhole
* Cording
* Darning/Embroidery
* Free-motion, open toe foot
* Gathering
* Hemmer
* Open toe
* Overcasting
* 1/4" Quilting foot
* Satin stitch
* Straight stitch foot
* Zipper
* Zigzag
THE PROMOTIONAL EXTRA FEET WERE
* Braiding Foot
* 5/8 edge guide
* Adjustable Guide Foot
* Decorative Stitch Foot
* Decorative Tape Foot
* Chenille Foot
* Edge Joining Foot
* 1/4" Quilting Foot with Guide
* Stitch In The Ditch Foot
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| poorpigling | 5/20/09 | What state are you in and what dealer did you use..you got a really good deal..and a really nice review too.. |
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| P Bousquette | 5/20/09 | Pfaff feet fit this machine perfectly, so if you can't find the Baby Lock foot you want, buy it from Pfaff. I have this machine and use my Pfaff feet on it. The new Baby Lock feet for the Quest are just copies of the Pfaff feet. |
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| Betakin | 5/20/09 | I think this is a very nice review. I tried the 1st Quest at my dealers but not the Quest Plus and I have wanted to see some reviews on the Quest Plus. I believe both Quests have a wide 8mm stitch width and as for Pfaff feet fitting the Quest models, I don't know that all Pfaff feet would fit because I don't think my Pfaff Select 1530 feet would work on the Quest because the feet for the 1530 are not that wide but I know that some of Pfaff's machines have a wide stitch and of course they have the feet to accomodate the wide stitch width. Water2wine, you stated you wanted a pintuck foot and I do have a pin tuck foot for my Pfaff but I don't think it would fit the Quest but maybe Pfaff makes a wider one that does. |
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| Mufffet | 5/20/09 | GREAT review! WOW...great to read a review where someone has really put the machine through it's paces and then let us know the real deal! Sounds like a terrific machine for the price too! |
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| Franksdottir | 5/20/09 | I have seldom read a more thorough review. This sounds like an excellent machine and I will keep it in mind should I be looking for a new one. |
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| GreenMtn | 5/21/09 | Very nice review. Thanks for being so thorough. |
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| Karlyn M. | 5/21/09 | This was an excellent and thorough review. I believe this machine has a vertical bobbin, which is probably the reason you have to take off the sleeve to get to it. Drop-in bobbins are easier to get to, but I have heard that vertical bobbins are better for free-motion quilting. |
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| water2wine | 5/21/09 | It does have a vertical bobbin. You are so right. That is just the deal. On the upside you can wind the bobbin without removing the thread from the needle. The bobbin winder is really nice on this machine. And because of it being a vertical bobbin you can get to the bobbin without removing what you are sewing. If you are using the extension table it all works out really nice. |
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| Cleopatre | 5/25/09 | water2wine, the machine comes with a Gathering Foot. I did ruffles with it when I was testing things on mine. Could you be more specific as to why you felt you needed the Singer Ruffler Foot? TIA |
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| water2wine | 5/26/09 | Cleopatre a ruffling foot is different than a gathering foot. A gathering foot does not make precise perfect gathers at calculated stitch intervals where you can adjust the depth of the ruffle and a ruffler does. Plus a ruffler makes pleats as well. You have a choice of gathered every stitch , every 6 stitches or every 12 stitches plus you can adjust the depth of the gather or pleat as well. It is a wonderful tool. I highly recommend getting one. I do a lot of ruffles and pleats on my girls dresses and I could not live without this tool, especially because when I sew one dress I have to sew it five times for all my girls. It is wonderful! BTW just used that ruffler on a skirt I made and it works wonderful on that machine! Here is a link that shows and explains the difference. http://thesewbox.blogspot.com/2008/02/rufflers-gatherers-what-can-be.html |
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| water2wine | 5/26/09 | Oh one other thing about the ruffler foot that is great, you can ruffle or pleat at the same time you add it to another piece of fabric and not have the fabric you sew it to ruffled or pleated. So it is a two in one step if you like also! Huge tome saver. |
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| Cleopatre | 5/26/09 | Thanks :) I don't have a girl and have been avoiding ruffles all my life LOL The little I have ever made didn't involve a special foot... just a lot of elbow grease. I'll keep it in mind if I ever get into a ruffle phase; it sure sounds easier :) |
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| ala violet | 6/19/09 | BabyLock Workbook for the Quest you mentioned, where do you purchase this item? |
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| water2wine | 6/20/09 | You can get it from your dealer. I got the Quest workbook because they do not have a Quest plus and the difference between the two is not big so the dealer told me there would probably not be a Quest Plus workbook. They are a bit pricey but when I bought my machine I got a 20% off coupon and I used that. I think it was $58 dollars but not positive I am remembering correctly. It's a nice book though, very helpful. |
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| jilly cooper | 6/21/09 | Great review, heaps of information and lots of detail! |
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| sewsanna | 7/16/09 | water2wine, if you are still willing to comment, I wonder if you have taken the class you were entitled to. And are you continuing to use the QuestPlus as before? Your review has been encouraging for me, who does need one basic machine for all kinds of sewing. It seems to me that before you start sewing, the machine has to be tweaked or adjusted. You can't just sit down and sew. Has that been your experience? And, have you sewn knits on it? If so, how has it performed? Thanks for your complete coverage of so many of this machine's attributes. |
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| water2wine | 7/20/09 | Sorry just seeing your question now. I have not had the class yet. I will have it the beginning of August. My schedule is weird is the reason why. I have not tried knits. I tend to use my serger for that so I am not sure I am the best person to tell you what I think on this anyway. If you have a chance to go to test one out I would bring lots of types of fabric to see if you can get a feel for how you like that. I tend to like sergers for knits better than anything but I understand if you do not have one you would want a machine that could handle it all. But I think you are going to be the best judge on that one. Just do not have a lot of experience using a regular machine with knits is all.
Anyway on the other question I am not sure what I am going to learn at the class and almost skipped doing it because it really is a very easy machine to learn how to use. Probably I will learn something but I have run through all the functions myself and have had no issues at all. It's very user friendly and easy to understand how to use the functions. I also have that Babylock workbook on it so that has helped see all it can do as well. I'm sure the calls will be fin and I want to make sure I am getting all I can out of it so I will go. Probably at the class they will go over knits so I can report back then. :) |
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| johnr55 | 10/11/09 | Fantastic review. I like to hear how and why people purchased their machines, not just a list of features. All of my machines in several brands have vertical bobbins except the Swiss Elnas which have drop-in bobbins. When I bought my first Bernina it was a pain; now I'm just used to it. I use an acrylic big extension table on them and it can be a pain getting to the bobbin. Additionally, if one uses a table with an insert like I have, it's extra steps. Not enough for me to buy another brand, though. Rufflers have been around in the same basic form for 75 years. They have worked for me but they do take some practice in my experience. |
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| patchwork quilter | 10/22/09 | I'm looking for a new machine, and this one was at the top of my list. Thanks for all the positive comments |
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