I am a happy BERNINA owner and have been for maybe 50 years. The 440QE is probably one of the best machines ever made. I think you need a factory trained BERNINA technician to work on your machine and tune it up properly. I made a mistake of buying one of my machines from a sewing machine dealer (all brands) and a warranty for 3 maintenance sessions. The service was not like the tech maintenance I was used to. One of my machines is an 1130 that I have had for 30 years and was used for drapery, etc. The tech said he has never seen a machine with so many stitches (it does have a counter). He has replaced a couple of parts over the years because of wear. So, please, go see a BERNINA dealer and talk to their technician. He or she can solve your difficulties because what is happening should not be happening.