I'm interested in your opinion of using a pink "slider" for fmq -- does it make the quilt move more smoothly as you sew and is it worth $30?

some say yes, some say no. i used it a few times but my quilt kept getting caught on it so i removed it. also removed my acrylic extention table. maybe it's just me who had trouble. so search here for more info.

I have one but rarely use it. I don't really think it makes difference for me.

I have one and use it all the time. Mine is white. Where did you get a pink one and what is the differnce bettween the two?

I use mine all the time too! It helps the quilt slide around much better than without it.

Yes, it's worth it.

The pink one is bigger than the original and has the $ back to breast cancer thing. There is another company (can't remember the name right now) that has a white one that is even bigger. It doesn't seem as smooth to me. I have them both. I wouldn't fmq without mine anymore. It really does help the quilt sandwich glide better. I just wish it was much bigger.

Do you have any problem with the quilt getting hung-up on the corners of the slider?

I think you could get the same effect with cheap vinyl from Walmart. With the vinyl, you can cover as large an area as you can create to surround your needle.

I not familiar with the "slider". I've been trying to fmq and not doing so hot. I need all the help I can get. Could someone send me a link so I can see what you are talking about. I am assuming it is for a reg. sewing machine, not a longarm. Right?

The one I have is called Supreme Slider. I'll look for a link

http://www.amazon.com/LaPeirre-Supre...1?ie=UTF8&qid=

Leah Day likes them. She tapes hers town. She showed it in some of her YouTube videos. I've not tried it yet, but will I suppose because I need all the help I can get.

I have the white Suprene Slider and I have mixed emotions about it. It does not fit well on my free-arm extension table and being loathe to cut it, I taped it down under the extension table where I could. I think it helped with moving the quilt, but it seemed to be a constant irritation to me all the while too. I think if your machine is in a recessed position and not with an acrylic extension table butted up to it, it probably would work a whole lot better.

I also saw "Queen Supreme Slider" (bigger), but Im wondering if anyone had tried the vinyl from Walmart....did it work??

I have the supreme slider and use it all the time. Love it for FMQ!

I agree. I asked for it as a Christmas gift, and just used for the first time recently, and OMG, the quilt moves freely, and my FMQ is looking a lot better (still need more practice though). I would recommend it.

I'm quite happy with mine as well. I've had it for a year or so and use it frequently. There are a few little 'aids' that help me with FMQ, like the Slider, Machingers and the quilt halo. A google search will find them for you if you're interested.:)

Thank you for all the comments here. I had also been looking at the quilt halo. Sounds like I need to make 2 purchases and hopefully I can fmq.

I got a tip from this board about using a silicone oven liner for FMQ. I bought one at Bed, Bath & Beyond just a week ago and it has really made a difference. I paid $10 for it.

I have been wanting to get a slider and just haven't had the money. But I am going to check out the oven liner.
I have a Brother with the table that attaches. When I lived with my daughter I "borrowed" her Plexus windshield cleaner that she uses on her Harley. Made that table just a slick as can be. It is about $25 a can but will last pretty much forever. Now I just need to find some more to "borrow"<G>

I just bought a piece of vinyl at Walmart, placed it over my own leftover pieces of foam insulation boards. I also added a piece of fun fabric under the vinyl that covers the foam boards. I haven't tried quilting with it, but I think I'll like it.

I have used a silicone (I think that was what it was) spray and thought my quilt moved really well with that. I have to get some more tho.

I have the Sew Slip mat and it makes a huge difference. Once or twice I've forgotten to put it on and then wonder why it's so heavy going! The other thing I'd recommend is give your backing fabric a really good press with starch before sandwiching as this makes it really slidey too! I don't even use my gloves anymore with the Sew Slip...

Has anyone tried silicone spray? I believe Patsy Thompson recommends this product. It makes your extension table very slippery but is not greasy and does not stain fabric. I bought some but have not tried it yet.

Don't laugh, but the few times I have tried fmq, practicing on small squares, I used saran wrap.

I've never seen a slider, what do they look like?

I use Heavey Duty Silicone spray. I spray
it on the extension table and lo & behold it is
really slick. The spray is not tacky or anything.
Try it just once and you will like it too.

I have used one - I didn't notice much difference on my Janome with an extenstion table. I bought a Babylock for my daughter and the quilt did not slide well on her extension table, so the slider went home with my daughter and her babylock. It worked well for her machine.

I use spray Pledge on my machine bed and surrounding table. Makes EVERYTHING move very easy. That costs a lot less then the 'slider' tool and Pledge CAN be used around the house--if desired. *Ü*

I tape mine down in the front as Leah suggested and have had no problems with it. My piece slides smoothly over it; I have not yet fmq'd any large projects on my Horizon however. I would be curious to hear about the cheap plastic too.

I'm new to FMQ so I don't know what that is. I did find I was having a lot of trouble with my hands sliding on the fabric as I was trying to move the quilt around. Looked online and in some catalogs I have and found some quilters gloves and fingertips. More than I could afford so, I went to Walmart, bought a pair of gardening gloves with rubber or something on the palms for 4.00. They work great.

I have one and use it with my free motion quilting. The needle hole in the slider does not allow for use of the feed dogs so those are always lowered. I stick the blue painters tape around the edges of mine so the corners do not flip up into the stitch area from under the quilt as I'm working. The quilt really does slide better with the teflon coating on the sheet. I tried the vinyl and it was just like the metal on my machine bed as in not very smooth at all. I cannot quilt as evenly without the slider.

I used a slider once. My machine didn't like it. It would skip stitches. Without the slider it FMQ beautifully. I gave it away to someone on this board.

I would buy a Sew Slip mat, instead - it's twice as big and it costs less than the Supreme Slider. Here's one on eBay, so you can see what it looks like:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=120606839114

It's sticky on the back so it stays put, but it's very slippery on top, so your quilt glides over it. I can tell a definite difference between using and not using the mat.

If your feed dogs don't lower, you can enlarge the hole in the mat to expose the whole area of the feed on the needle plate. If you don't, you will get lots of skipped stitches.

The back loses its grip if it gets dusty/linty, so you just rinse it under cold water and let it air dry and it's sticky again.

I have never heard of a "slider". Who is Leah Day and can you list the youtube site? Thanks.

I have one but haven't figured out how to use it yet. One of those "gotta haves" which I didn't need to have.

For some reason it makes my quilt harder to move around. I have much better luck with just some Armor-All applied to a cloth and then to my sewing table and machine bed.

If you have a walmart that carries vinyl, it is reasonably priced and wide so you can buy it by the yard. they have different weights too. I have the supreme slider and really like it, but the vinyl I can cover a much larger area. You do need to tape either one down so your quilt in the movement won't take the slider or the vinyl with it. I use packaging tape to tape them down and yes when you need to change the bobbin you need to undo part of the tape, but it is well worth the effort because your quilt moves so much easier that your arms and shoulders don't get sore. I also swear by the machiniger gloves.

Good Luck

Suzy

Never thought of this. Thanks for the suggestion.

Do a search for "slider".... I remember not long ago there was a big discussion about this and some showed pictures of how to adapt an oven liner (of the same material) to use as a slider at a much cheaper costs. I've never used one but think I may give it a shot. Nothing ventured; nothing gained.