For those of you that sew on your home machine, what are the notions that work best for you?

I've recently been glued to my computer looking at Leah Day's designs and videos. I practiced on my first sandwich and liked it a lot. I see a lot of quilted fat quarters in myfuture...maybe placemats or something. Anyway...I digress. On her site, she talks about some slider things and quilting gloves.

Do the gloves really work? What are your "have to have" items when you are Free Motion Quilting?

I use a pair of garden gloves that are rubberized on the palm side and a loose knit on top. I tried the quilting gloves with the dots and they just didn't work for me. They didn't have enough grip and even in the large size the fingers were too short for my fingers.

I also use several tables pushed together at a right angle to have lots of support for the weight of the quilt.

I don't use the slider, but I do use a plastic cutting mat from Walmart (someone here posted about them awhile ago!) to cover the hole in my table. I just use painters tape to hold it down and so far it has worked well.

I am curious to see what others have to say.

Gloves give you a better grip on the quilt, and your hands won't get as sore/tired. I find it also helps my wrists and arms too :D:D:D

Machingers, or something similar, are a necessity IMHO. Also, make sure that you have a large flat surface - preferably something your machine recesses into - to hold the weight of the quilt while quilting.

I like the Machingers gloves also, but lately have tried just using a little glycerine on my palms and fingers instead. That seems to be working too, and it doesn't make my hands hot like the gloves do.

I also have the supreme slider and REALLY like it.

I won't quilt without the Supreme Slider or Machinger's. I need a good slippery surface and the extra control the gloves give.

If the slider is the white sheet of vinyl that keeps the static from building up - IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE. I am in a FMQ class right now (so far 3 out of 8) and using this sheet keeps the motion going. Not using the sheet sometimes results in a herky-jerky motion due to static.

Gloves are personal preference. There is a new type of glove that has a very thin hand with the grippers only on the fingertips. See if your LQS will let you try them for fit and comfort.

I have been practicing FMQ and found that I have better results when I practice the pattern on paper or repeating it with my finger on the table. Big difference!

I don't like gloves for any reason, so I use the rubberized shelf lining. I cut a rectangle the size of my hands & that works great for me.

I sewed little "mitts" with the non slip shelf liing. I cut a rectangle the size of my fingers (x 2, folded it over) & sewed up the sides. Worked great!

I'm new to FMQ, too. I tried the gloves and found them way too bulky and hot. I found out I'm a gripper by nature so I wasn't using them right anyway. So I bought the "Fabulous Fabric Glide" by Gypsy Quilter and love it! It's like the Quilting Halo but with handles. But the best purchase was the (forgot the brand name) plexiglass extension table, custom fit to my machine. Even for small pieces, a flat surface makes all the difference in the world