The (successful) history of baby lock
From the vision of a loving husband to the world’s first household overlock
The baby lock success story began in the 1950s in a blacksmith’s factory in the Japanese city of Yamagata and with the engineer Koichi Sakuma. At the time, his wife worked as a seamstress and had to invest a lot of time and energy in sewing fabric parts and neatening fabric edges. To make her day-to-day work easier, the tech-savvy Sakuma decided to find a solution inspired by industrial production. Full of zest for action, he told his boss about the idea and convinced him that it could help not only his wife, but also many other tailors. In 1956, Mr Sakuma produced the first wooden prototype, laying the foundation for both the world’s first household overlock and the baby lock brand.
It took a few further developments and some time before the first functional prototype could be produced in 1963. The world’s first household overlock was then launched in 1968 as the EF-205 model. It had a needle and a looper to intertwine two threads and a knife to cut off excess fabric cleanly. With the market launch of this sewing machine, the developers around Koichi Sakuma decided to found the baby lock brand. This laid the foundation for a success story that would be followed by numerous other technical innovations.
Inventions that revolutionise the sewing world
During development, baby lock always focussed on one question: How can sewing be made even more convenient? As a result, baby lock machines continue to impress today with the highest quality and ease of use with professional sewing results. Automatic threading systems or the automatic thread feed not only provide sewing beginners or professionals with carefree sewing pleasure. They are also innovations that have enabled baby lock to reaffirm its pioneering role in the overlock and coverstitch sector time and time again. The first air threading system, the JetAir system, even received a very special award. It was honoured with the ‘Invention Grand Prix’, which is awarded for special innovations and went to a sewing machine manufacturer for the first time.
Sakuma’s magic
Air threading or thread delivery. Hand stitch or Wave stitch. Blind Hem machine with specialised function or combination machine for almost unlimited variety. The consistency with which baby lock continues to surprise with new inventions has led to people talking about ‘Sakuma’s magic’. Koichi Sakuma himself took a much more down-to-earth view: ‘Experience has taught me that the mysterious magic consists of many years of hard work, full of trials and errors.’ Work that pays off for owners of baby lock sewing machines. To this day, new products are only launched on the market when their functionality is flawless. And then it does feel a little bit like magic for sewers.
baby lock history … a little journey through time
1956 | Overlock – Wooden prototype
The prototype of the first baby lock machine was made of wood.
1963 | Overlock – First functional prototype
Several years of development work led to the first functional prototype of a household overlock in 1963.
1968 | Overlock – Model EF-205
In 1968, baby lock launched the EF-205, the world’s first overlock machine for domestic use. It was already in serial production at that time.
1970 | Overlock – Model EF-405
This three-thread overlock sewing machine had a rubberised feed dog, a thread take-up for looper threads and a thread guide with ‘magical guiding properties’.
1971 | Combi – Model EA-605
This model was the first baby lock combination machine. It works with four threads – overlock and chain stitch needles can be used individually or together for a safety stitch.
1984 | Overlock – Model BL3-418
With a built-in lamp and integrated rolled hem, this model is the first overlock machine with colour-coded tension buttons.
1986 | Overlock – Model BL4-428
This model was the first overlock machine to feature a free arm and offered important adjustment options, including the ability to change the stitch width.
1987 | Overlock – Model BL4-436DF
This four-thread overlock appeared in 1987. It was equipped with a differential feed and a small lighting system.
1990 | Blindstitch – Model BL-101
This Blind Hem Stitch machine for domestic use is still the only one in the world that sews with a straight needle. This model won the Good Design Award in Japan in 1994.
1993 | Overlock – Model BLE-1DX “eclipse“
With the invention of the JetAir™ system, which threads the loopers with air and was first installed in the ‘eclipse’ in 1993, baby lock achieved another milestone and even became the first sewing machine manufacturer to win the ‘Invention Grand Prix’ of the year in Japan.
1997 | Overlock – Model BLE-1AT “imagine”
From 1997, baby lock sewing machines were improved with a further innovation. The ‘imagine’ has the unique and patented Automatic Thread Delivery System (ATD).
1999 | Coverlock – Model BLE-8 “evolve”
The first combined coverlock unites the possibilities of overlock and cover stitch machines. With eight threads, three loopers and five needles, the ‘evolve’ enables countless stitch variations.
2001 | Cover Stitch – Model BLCS “cover stitch”
The first pure Cover Stitch machine from baby lock comes onto the market in 2001. It demonstrates high stitch reliability, especially for cross seams. The lowerable feed dog on this machine is also worth mentioning.
2004 | Overlock – Model BLE 3ATW “imagine wave”
The ‘imagine wave’ is an overlock sewing machine that is the first to feature another unique baby lock innovation: it has the Wave Stitch, which is still only available on baby lock machines today.
2009 | Hand stitch – Model BL QK ‘Sashiko’
Sashiko, a Japanese embroidery tradition that originated more than a millennium ago, is colloquially translated as ‘chopstick technique’. The patented baby lock Sashiko is the first household sewing machine to imitate the traditional hand stitch.
2009 | Overlock – Model BLE 3ATW-2 “enlighten”
The ‘enlighten’ is the successor model to the ‘imagine wave’. It also masters the wave stitch, but scores with a new design and LED lighting. The ‘enlighten’ is the first to utilise the new, now motor-driven ‘ExtraOrdinAir Threading System’.
2018 | Coverlock – Model BLE TS8 “Gloria”
In addition to the familiar baby lock amenities, the ‘Gloria’ combination sewing machine boasts the RevolutionAir system. This air threading system not only ensures fast threading of the loopers, but now also of the needle eye in just a few simple steps.
2020 | Cover Stitch – Model BL C4 “Euphoria”
The ‘Euphoria’ Cover Stitch machine fulfils customer requests for a wide passage. It is also equipped with a knee lever, manual needle threader, threading system for the looper and automatic thread delivery.
2024 | Top Cover Stitch- Model BL P6 “Primo”
The Primo is the first top cover stitch machine from baby lock. The unique swing foot enables the use of one or two threads to produce a curved line on the cover stitch’s surface. It has a needle up/down function, along with additional features such as: looper air threading system, automatic thread delivery, and a sewing speed regulator.
