I'm trying out some free motion quilting (having been inspired by some of our forum members!) and am finding the quilt is dragging a bit. I know you can get a sheet to put on your machine to help the quilt slide better. There are three that I know of; SewSlip, SuperSlider and SupremeSlider.
Which is best and where is the best place to order one?
Thanks.

Why is it dragging? is it big, and hanging down? i have used some of my husbands bike/car wax...placed on a rag , and then buffed. If you do a wax, make sure if yours is a spray,you spray the rag not the surface.
are you using gloves? gloves with the little rubber bumps or rubber finger tips, witll also help..in fact, they are a must..in my book. you can use a clean pair of garden gloves, maybe from the garden center or dollar shop. you will notice a big difference in control.
since your new to this, i would start off with practice sandwiches..24 x 24. when i first started i did only baby quilts..
it is all i could handle! lol

Save your money for fabric!

I have the Supreme Slider. It works great. I leave it on my machine table for regular sewing too. When I feel it's getting not so slippery, I take it off and rinse it under tap water, pat dry and it's good to go. It's worth it to keep the scratches off the expensive extension table and machine bed.

I agree with you , the gloves are a very big help. I have a slider that I got free when I bought my bernina. I have used it some but I don't think I would buy one. If I have my quilt gloves I do fine. I do have a side board and plenty of space behind the machine to help support the quilt and i have my elbows level with the sewing machine. That helps the shoulder strain.

The gloves were my best buy for FMQ. They helped so much .

I tried the supreme slider and I didn't think it was as good as I hoped it would be. I value my Fons and Porter gloves for free motion. I couldn't do it without gloves.

I agree - gloves with rubber nubs on them are a must for me - I also roll the quilt to put through the opening in the machine - try to keep the quilt on the table or whatever large surface you have the machine on. A table to the left of your side is a big help also. I only do FMQ.

Thanks. Maybe I`ll try a pair of gloves first and see if that makes a difference. I feel that, being new to it, I`m very tense and need to relax more.

You might want to make your own quilting table. Having a larger surface to support the quilt helps a lot. Here is a Youtube video that shows how to make this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g14govA4pIM

I have the slider and it works well however I also was in WalMarts one day and noticed some really thin silicone cutting mats which came 3 to a package. I felt of them and they were pretty slick. They were much larger than my slider so I bought them and they worked great. You just have to punch a hole in them for your needle to go through and your all set. Much cheaper than the slider. I believe they were under $3 for the package. Kacy

To me, the gloves make a tremendous difference. I can really feel the difference in my shoulders as far as pain, and I have so much better control over moving the quilt as well. By far, about the best $10 I ever spent on quilting notions.

another tip: Remember to Breathe!

Grap a coupon if you want the F&P gloves..

Takes breaks and roll your shoulders to loosen them up..play some upbeat music..

this should be fun..

Thanks for the idea for the silicon mats!!

What department were the silicone cutting mats in?

They were in the kitchenware. The ones that I bought were blue and about twice the size of the slidder. They look like a thin piece of plastic. Kacy

Thanks for the tip Kacy. I have been thinking about the "slider" but I think I will try your way and look at our Wal Mart for the silicone sheets. :)

What size are the cutting boards at walmart?

Here is a picture of one of the silicon cutting mats that I bought at Wal-Mart. It is very thin and measures 12x15. Hope this helps.

Sorry but I have never heard of a slider mat - could you please explain how they are used and how here is an opening for the needle to quilt the fabric without sewining it on the fabric. Thanks

You use it to do free motion quilting with your machine. Cut a small hole in it where your needle goes through and I tape the slider in place so it will not move. Then start your quilting. I found it really helps the quilt top to slide easier. Also quilting gloves are a must. Hope this makes it clearer.

I have gloves also, and think they really help me move the fabric around.

kacy 49 In what dept. at WM did you find you silicone mats. WOW!!!! a lot cheaper. I'd hate to spend so much for a slider and then find out it wasn't my thing. I'M CHEAP.

I have the Supreme slider and wouldn't even try to FM without it. I also use the gloves and have found that I really like doing the FM. However, I am going to go and look for the silicone sheets simply because they are larger. You are working way to hard if you don't have a slippery something under the fabric.

I just went to Amazon.com and found quite a few. Here is the page:

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_27rekcbahe_b

I also like the Supreme Slider and I use ordinary gloves from a hardware store with rubber grip dots on them. They are a lot cheaper than named brand quilting gloves.

I am very interested in finding a slider and giving it a try. I've heard that it does make the job easier.

When fmq using my sewing machine I keep one hand underneath the quilt and one on top. I have no strain and have complete control of the quilt.

check out Featherweights post showing how she used a teflon oven liner to make a slider for herself............looks like it'd work great for much lower price.