Thank you everyone for all those hints and tips, I'll certainly be trying them out and continue to practice,practice, practice. Julia x

The BSR has 2 Modes
Mode 1: uses the start stop button on the front of the machine to engage, the needle starts as soon as you push the button.
Mode 2: uses the foot pedal (more in line with how I quilt) or the start stop button to engage the BSR the needle starts as when you begin moving the quilt

In either mode the key is to find an appropriate stitch length.
90% of the time I do not use a BSR because I don't have one, the 10% that I get to use one, at the Bernina dealer where I work, I love using the BSR. It was a matter of learning which mode works for me and how to make adjustments that are in keeping with my personal stitch length and the type of quilting I'm doing.

My own Bernina dealer, knowledgeable as they are, were not aware of Mode 2 and how to use it. I brought that back to them. When I teach both at my dealer and at the national quilt shows I share this with the class if I happen to be teaching in a Bernina room.

As a side note, there is much that I agree with in Leah's article. There would have been a time when that article and sentiment could have come from me. With that 2 minutes of education from the National Events Coordinator from Bernina and about 10 minutes of practice I went from No I won't demo the BSR on Camera to Yes I will demo the BSR on camera and I want one.

Teri

Check out Leah Day's answer to the question of what she thinks of using a stitch regulator here---> http://www.freemotionquilting.blogspot.ca/2012/01/question-thursday-1.html

Leah Day is a premier free motion quilting professional, lecturer, and designer.

One thing with the BSR is to lower the stitch length. When I taped for Quilting Arts a few years ago Jeanne Delpit had me lower the stitch length until the BSR moved freely with me. Once I did that it changed my whole perspective on the BSR. I'd try lowering the stitch length.

Teri

I don't have a machine with BSR but in trying to FMQ I found that I was
1. trying to sew as fast as the machine sounded........ Slow it down until you find a speed you are comfortable with
2. pressing down too hard on the fabric..........a light touch is all that is needed
And as previous members have stated don't move your hands, stop sewing then reposition your hands. And practise, practise, practise
Hope this helps
Anne

This is not what you want to hear. I have the 440 and was so looking forward to the BSR but I have had a lot of problems with it. My dealer says it works like it should but I keep getting skipped stitches and it does not "read" the fabric smoothly. Anyway I used it for practising and believe it or not, in some odd way it taught me how to do free motion. I love FMQ now but always without the BSR.

Take the classes from your Bernina dealer. One of the classes deals with the stitch regulator. You can take the class again and again and again...

I quilt with my 820 and use the Stitch reg. a good bit..I can FMQ without it just fine... but I find it useful as it simplifies
what I have to pay attention to....that said , there is a learning curve so P, P, and more practice is in order! Good luck to you !
I love mine !!

Put on some "right brain" music. Instrumental-it will help you relax.

Ritzy's right--slowing down does help when you are learning how to use the BSR. Part of the reason you may find the movement "jerky" in the beginning is that your hands may also be moving the fabric too quickly. You need to find a steady rhythm for your hands as you do your free motion quilting FMQ). Also important is to make sure your needle is set to the "needle down" position so that when you stop to reposition your hands, you are not accidentally moving the fabric. Try not to be tempted to move your hands while you are doing the FMQ--that causes "jerky-ness" too. Finally, not sure whether you are an experienced quilter, so I make the suggestion on the assumption that you are learning: move your fabric east and west, north and south with your hands but don't try to turn the fabric while FMQing--that causes "jerky" movements too and can break your needle because the machine is designed for the fabric to move from the front of the machine toward the back when you sew. Finally, don't forget to BREATHE while you are doing it! If it is not fun right away, as you get better you will have a blast: yes, practice, practice and more practice (which I am still doing a lot of!)

Personally, I don't use the BSR even though I have it, it came with my Bernina 830. I have used it both in the BSR 1 and BSR2 modes and concluded that I much prefer to work without it. Some people suggest that the BSR is the answer to those who have a hard time getting even stitches, but the truth is that no matter whether you work with or without BSR there is a learning curve either way, so be patient.The BSR, once you've established a comfortable rhythm, will start to produce great results often faster than if you were working without BSR. Some people use the BSR as "training wheels" while they are learning to do FMQ and then move on to working without a BSR. It really is a personal choice. Hope this helps!

Turn the speed down. That was the biggest thing I found to help me.

I've recently purchased a new Bernina 550QE with the stitch regulator. Any tips please for achieving smooth stitching. I seem to be very jerky. Is it just practice, practice, practice?