LeeAnn

I'm posting this to hopefully help some of you with the same problem. It took me about a year and tons of frustration to finally figure this one out. My Bernina 440QE had always been a dream machine when one day while using the stitch regulator it began to skip stitches. I tried everything I could think of and nothing worked. I stitched on a small practice swatch and it was perfect but everytime I switched to my quilt it would skip stitches like crazy. I took it to my dealer who claimed there was nothing wrong with it. I begged to differ and finally gave up on the quilting. About 6 months later I pulled out the quilt top I was working on and finished it....skipped stitches and all. I was hand stitching the binding down when I noticed I could hardly get my needle through. Low and behold I discovered the problem. It was the basting spray I used. It was gumming up on my needle even though I couldn't see it. I had purchased the less expensive brand at wal-mart some time back. Of course on the can it says it won't gum up needles, trust me....it does. I went to Joann's and purchased the Dritz spray adhesive and tried it. Wow! So much better....doesn't skip at all. I definitely learned a valuable lesson the hard way. Cheaper is not always better. It also explained why I could practice on a small swatch with no skipped stitches...I didn't use the spray on the practice piece. I was crazed from the skipped stitches so if I can keep one of you sane then my work here is done. Happy stitching!

Toni C

Huh, who would have thunk. I'm guessing that even when you changed needles it was quickly gunked (word?) up to skip stitches?

Tartan

I LOVE my Bernina with the stitch regulator but it isn't fool proof. Maybe I should say me proof? I have had trouble on batiks or other dense fabric with an occasional big stitch. I am getting ready to try 505 with my stitch regulator and hope that goes well.

QuiltE

What spray are you using now, Tartan?
I only used one can of June Tailor and hated it, came out in blobs, and the whole sandwich felt more like cardboard ... switched quickly back to 505.

Others have talked before about batiks causing skips, and have said the importance of switching up to a sharper finer needle.



Otherwise Ladies ... please tell me about your BSR ... does it "really" work for the most part? What does one need to know to be a lover of it?

Tartan

I have been using Hobbs 80/20 fusible quilt batt. It works well for me but I want to try the 505 since everyone on QB raves about it.

JudyTheSewer

Thanks for sharing LeeAnn.

QuiltE - yes, the BSR really works! The 440QE is such a sweet machine.

QuiltE

Does the 440QE have a wider throat?
Or do I have to go to the 820 to get that?

Sandra-P

I have the 550 QE with the BSR. I havent had any problems so far and absolutely love my new Bernina. Thanks for the tip on the basting spray. Must have been real frustrating for you.

quiltstringz

Couple of things - first I believe that there is a new (stonger) spring for the BSR and that you can take it to your dealer to have it updated. Not sure but I don' believe that there is a charge.

On the larger throat question - in the past you would have had to go to the 820 to get that. Bernina is introducing a new line on 7 series (710, 750,780) that have a larger throat - not quite as large as the 820 but I am not sure of the dimensions. Had a friend that was asking me to go look at them with her - scared that I might want one!

Quilting D

Thank you, Lee Ann for posting. I am having the exact same problem with my Bernina 640 e but I am not using any basting spray or adhesives. It seems to be having trouble getting through the places where many seams intersect and the material is several layers. This I think would cause the same problem you had with the gumming as the machine needle so maybe it causes the needle to be off just a hair sluggish and not pick up the bobbin thread? I would like to know what type and size needle you use?