I have the same problem with my Pfaff. Beautiful straight stiching but skips stitches on the top when doing free motion. :(

Well, now it won't even form stitches.. Guess it is time to find someone to work on it. I rethreaded, oiled, put in new needle, then old needle, etc. Don't know anything else to try. Thanks all. Brenda in Alabama

Solution Found to lack of any stitches at all. I called Ken's Sewing Center and asked why my machine had quit sewing. He answered my question immediately. The needle had to be turned completely around and re inserted. Now it is sewing again. There is a Scarf...or a curve in one side of the needle and that goes to the rear when you insert it. Wish I had known that 3 days ago. So anyone with a Juki 2200 needs to be aware of this. Now to get the bobbin wound correctly. Wish things were easier for me. Ha

Needle oreintation issues are normal for most "industrial" machines. the needles have a round shank so you can put them in any way you want - and all but one way is not correct. You always want the scarf to be towards the hook.

Even though it can be tricky getting the needles in place, it does give you the option of rotating it slightly if you need to depending on the fabric you are working with.

Some of you have asked "are the skipped stitches on top or bottom" I'm totally confused - how does a skipped stitch be on the top and not the bottom too?

Technically all skipped stitches happen on the underside, as the needle pushes the top thread to the underside and the hook comes around and grabs the top thread and loops it around the bobbin thread and then the excess is pulled back up to the top side. Skips happen when the hook is not able to grab the top thread - and this can happen for many reasons.

So, for those of you saying "skipped stitches on the top" what are you referring too?