Baby Lock Altair 2 Sewing & Embroidery Machine

The Baby Lock Altair 2 is a sewing and embroidery machine for embroiderers who want a 9-1/2" x 14" hoop, on-screen design tools and a full-size sewing machine in one. It's the current version of the Altair. Compared with the original, it adds 2-point positioning, stitch tapering, a couching foot, a digital dual feed foot and the IQ Intuition Monitoring app.

Why buy from Imagine Sewing & Vacuum

• Authorized Baby Lock dealer. Only authorized retailers can issue Baby Lock warranties, so your Altair 2 is covered by Baby Lock's 25-year limited warranty.
• Sewing specialists since 1922. We've helped sewists and embroiderers choose the right machine for more than a century.
• Factory-trained technicians. The people who service Baby Lock machines can help with Wi-Fi setup, IQ Designer and hooping questions, before and after you buy.
• Free shipping on orders over $299. This machine qualifies.

Large-format embroidery with a full sewing machine

• Bigger designs, fewer re-hoops. The 9-1/2" x 14" field fits large quilt blocks and jacket backs, and four IQ Intuition hoops come in the box.
• See your fabric on screen. The IQ Intuition Positioning app photographs your hooped fabric and sends it to the 10.1" touchscreen for exact placement.
• Precise placement without a phone. 2-point positioning uses the embroidery foot's LED pointer to preview a design, then lets you adjust its position and angle.
• Create your own designs. IQ Designer turns drawings, scanned artwork or image files into embroidery, and adds stippling, echo quilting or 30 decorative fills around a design.
• Track long stitch-outs. The IQ Intuition Monitoring app alerts your phone when the bobbin needs changing, a thread breaks, a color change is due or the design is done.
• Room to quilt. You get 11.25" to the right of the needle, a compact digital dual feed foot, a 1/4" quilting foot and three free-motion feet.
• 774 stitches, with tapering. Stitch tapering sets the start and end angles of a stitch pattern for sharp points and mitered corners.
• Hands stay on the project. A knee lifter, automatic presser foot lift, NeverMiss threading, automatic thread cutter and programmable side pedal keep your hands free.

Is the Altair 2 right for you?

It's the best fit if you embroider large designs, want to create designs on the machine, and also sew or quilt.

Good to know before you buy: it's a single-needle machine, so you change thread for each color. The positioning app needs a compatible phone or tablet and works only with IQ Intuition hoops. With the embroidery unit attached, the machine is about 36" wide and 20-5/8" deep. Embroidery software is sold separately.

• Comparing it with the original Altair? The Baby Lock Altair is now a previous model. It has the same field and workspace but lacks 2-point positioning and stitch tapering.
• Only need embroidery? The Baby Lock Reflection embroiders the same 9-1/2" x 14" field with 2-point positioning, but it doesn't sew.
• Happy with an 8" x 12" field? The Baby Lock Aerial keeps the 11.25" workspace but has a 7" screen and no IQ Designer or Wi-Fi.

Expert tip

"Hoop on a flat table and stretch the fabric gently taut before you photograph it with the positioning app, because placement is only as accurate as your hooping. The app only reads the coded IQ hoops, not standard ones. When placement really matters, calibrate with a positioning sticker in the app's advanced mode, or use 2-point positioning instead."

Greg, Owner, Imagine Sewing & Vacuum

Specifications

What's in the box

• Altair 2 with embroidery unit, power cord and soft cover
• Advanced multi-function foot controller with side pedal, knee lifter and touch pen
• 15 presser feet: zigzag "J", monogramming "N+", overcasting "G", zipper "I", buttonhole "A", blind stitch "R", button fitting "M", straight stitch, 1/4" quilting, free-motion "O", "C" and "E", embroidery "W+" with LED pointer, couching "Y" and compact digital dual feed
• Couching yarn guide and threader, foot adapter and screw
• IQ Intuition hoops: 9-1/2" × 14", 9-1/2" × 9-1/2", 5" × 7" and 4" × 4"
• Positioning stickers (4 sheets) and lens calibration sheet
• 10 bobbins, 2 bobbin cases, bobbin center pin and 3 bobbin covers
• Straight stitch needle plate and embroidery needle plate cover
• Needle set, twin needle and ball point embroidery needles
• 2-spool thread stand, spool caps and spool nets
• Bobbin thread, stabilizer, chalk pencil, tools, accessory case and manuals

Warranty

Baby Lock covers the Altair 2 with a 25-year limited warranty: 10 years on parts, 5 years on circuit boards, 5 years on electrical components and 1 year on labor. Baby Lock only honors warranties issued by its authorized retailers. Imagine Sewing & Vacuum is an authorized Baby Lock retailer, so your machine is covered. Register your Altair 2 at babylock.com after it arrives.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between the Baby Lock Altair and the Altair 2?

They share the 9-1/2" x 14" field, 11.25" workspace, IQ Designer and the positioning app. The Altair 2 adds 2-point positioning, stitch tapering, the Monitoring app, couching and "N+" monogramming feet, a digital dual feed foot and a multi-function foot controller. It has 774 stitches and 534 designs, compared with 771 and 494 on the Altair, which is now a previous model.

Can I add Altair 2 features to my original Altair?

Many of them. Baby Lock's Altair & Meridian Upgrade (BLTAU), sold separately, adds a couching foot and designs, a 7" x 12" magnetic frame, 2-point positioning and more fills and fonts.

Does the Altair 2 have Wi-Fi?

Yes. On a 2.4 GHz network it receives designs from Design Database Transfer or Palette 11, works with the IQ Intuition apps and downloads updates.

Do I need a phone or tablet?

Only for the IQ Intuition apps. Everything else runs from the 10.1" touchscreen.

Which hoops fit the Altair 2?

Four IQ Intuition hoops come with it. Optional standard hoops (12" x 8", 8" x 8", 6" x 6" and 12" x 4" border) embroider normally but don't work with the positioning app. A 12" x 7" magnetic frame is also available.