paulswalia

WHY is it skipping stitches??????? I re-threaded, put in a new needle, cleaned the whole machine, re=threaded again, tried BSR # 1 then BSR @2 and BOTH are skipping. Read the manual - maybe cleaning the "eye" would help? I haven't used this is several months but swear it was okay the last time I used it!! ARGGGG!!!

Candace

What kind of thread are you using and what type needle?

Rachelcb80

Do a search on Bernina Stitch Regulator skipping and my thread, along with many others will come up. This is a very, very common problem and not always completely fixable.

Best of luck.

nursie76

Just wondering how long have you had your Bernina. The skipping stitches seems to be a common complaint. Personally, mine never actually skipped stitches, just occasionally had one bigger then the others. This was usually when I had made a quick or jerky curve or turn. There is an upgrade that involves replacing the original spring with a stronger one. I just got my machine in April, but had an issue with the threading path, when I took that in to get it taken care of, I took the BSR and asked if it already had the new spring since it was new. They said no, but they replaced it at that time. I have used the BSR a few times since then. I still get an occasional longer stitch, but I can live with that, it is certainly an improvement to what I can do without it. What I don't get is an actual skipped stitch where there is a needle hole where the needle went down but did not form the stitch.

I would recommend that you give your dealer a call asap. No reason to stress over it when the machine has a warranty and it is an issue that they should address to your satisfaction. I guess I am spoiled, my dealer is like family and works until any issue I have ever had with any of my Berninas is resolved.

Good luck.

OCQuilts

There is still some skill required to use the BSR. Mistakes that give you uneven results are common without proper instruction and practice. If you are experienced, and this is a new sudden occurrence. I would definitely, clean the lens on the foot. I often get calls like this after someone has been using a spray adhesive. We have sold hundreds of these and I am not aware of any problems that went unresolved.

Rachelcb80

What makes me kind of angry is how quickly the quilter is blamed for the issue, when it's a well known fact by now that there is a major problem with the BSR skipping stitches (not creating long stitches but actually skipping the stitch. Needle goes down but does not form a stitch, often several in a row). If you do a Google search there are tons and tons of people writing about the same problem. You can quilt all day long on a plain fabric sandwich (no seams) and the BSR won't skip. Put it on a real quilt sandwich and you get skipping. The new, heavier spring will help some but it won't completely solve the problem most likely.

I highly suggest you contact your dealer and ask about getting the new spring installed. Depending on when your machine was last serviced, there may be updates for both the machine and BSR that your tech can do as well. If all else fails take the machine and your quilt up to your dealers and show them what it's doing. I'm in the process of having to do this myself.

RST

Depending on how old your BSR is, you may need to have the dealer replace the spring mechanism. There were some that were faulty that led to skips.

In my experience, I get skips when my thread is not a good match for the fabric and/or batting. Recently I quilted a project for a friend, using her choice of thread -- Sulky. The fabric was a tightly woven batik, she used a heavy cotton batting, and between those three factors, I was having a nightmare with skips. I knew it wasn't my machine, as it worked beautifully on other projects. I tried all kinds of tricks and fixes, and what finally worked was using a heavier needle than recommended (don't cringe, but it was a denim needle). It left a bit more of a punch in the top than I like to see, but after I washed it, that disappeared completely, and the end result was quite nice.

So -- my advice would be to try switching to a different type of thread, try a different needle size, if it's not too late, consider a different batting. If you're having a lot of skips no matter what you work on, see your dealer.

The BSR should be a pleasure to work with, and it should be making your quilting life easier, so if it's not, get to the bottom of what's wrong-- be it a fix or a class or a users club where you meet up with others and see what they're doing, and how they're doing it.

RST

paulswalia

Now that's a possibility - I DID spray baste the batting.....but did it outside, no where near the BSR foot - does the issue arise because the spray gets on the "eye" of the BSR??

Rachelcb80

I have never spray basted so I haven't personally had trouble with that factor but I have read it can be a big factor in skipping. I've seen it reccomended to use a titanium needle when you've used a spray baste product. Apparently the adhesive doesn't stick to and gum up the titanium.

OCQuilts

It can! Certain Sprays are more of a problem then others. I won't recommend a brand on here, because I found that When I lived in Montana, products I swore by did not work at all here in NJ! Best of luck!