I've seen people mention Supreme Slider.

Would heavy gauge clear plastic work as well?

Good question. I have been thinking about getting a supreme slider.

I am not sure because I never tried plain plastic, but the slider is made of silicone I believe and feels different. That being said, I wonder what plain heavy plastic sprayed with a silicone spray would do....I had a slider and got rid of it and instead just started spraying silicone on my machine bed and it seemed to work well.

The slider is made of silicone and worth every penny! You can also use it to iron fusibles etc. so I've been told.

I have the vinyl tablecovering over the machine/table, with a cutout for the feed dogs. It slides well, but the movement of the quilt pulls the tape up and the vinyl curls a bit. Not as smooth as I'd like, but better than none at all. I've tried all kinds of tape and had the same results. Every so often, I turn it around and cut out a new section. When I've cut a few holes in it, I buy new and start over.

When I'm doing FMQ and the feed dogs are down, I use the slider on top of the heavy weight vinyl. It is more slippery than the vinyl, which I like right at the area that's being quilted.

I really like the slider and think it's worth the money.

The Free Motion Slider is made of Teflon and worth every penney! A good buy.

Can you use the supreme slider on a machine where you can't lower the feed dogs?

Yes, as there is a cut out area where the feed dog area is :wink:


Some vinyls are slicker than others... my neighbor added a LOT of extra slip to some for use as a slip and slide (she worked at a plant that manufactured it) The kids could hardly stand up on it when it was wet LOL She said they add different amounts to it, depending on it's use :D:D:D

My supreme slider (the new version) only has a tiny hole-not nearly big enough to clear the feed dogs. In fact it's about the size of the needle hole in a standard plate. You can trim it though.

I was actually hoping it would cover my feed dogs, as I cannot drop them. Then I might try FMQ, but I wonder if the feed dogs movement would cause the slider to shift around?

The feed dogs would actually bite into the slider and eventually ruin it. You'd have to try covering the feed dogs with something, and maybe cutting a slot in the slider. But, honestly since the slider is like $25, it may be cheaper to pick up an older used sewing machine on Craigs List that has the ability to drop the feed dogs.

does your machine have another plate that is a bit raised? most usually do and they cover the feed dogs.

You can cover the feed dogs with a business card or something similar, then put the slider on. I agree that if you use it with the feed dogs up it may ruin it eventually.

Thanks for the advice. I do have another machine that drops the feed dogs, but my older machine has soooooooo much more room and is in a cabinet so it has a nice flat surface, that I thought I should try to use it for FMQ. It does have a plate that you can screw on top but it is raised up quite a bit and difficult to move fabric over. I was hoping the slider might solve all that, but it sounds like it will just get all chewed up!

I was told that if you can't lower your feed dogs, but want to FMQ, set your stitch length to zero. The feed dogs move in relation to the stitch length, so if the setting is zero, the feed dogs won't move and you can control the fabric. However, they may catch on the fabric, so covering them with the slider might be a good idea.

I don't know if this works or not, as the only machine I have that the feed dogs don't drop is my Featherweight, and I don't quilt on her because the throat is too short.

Hmmm.... That sounds like something I should try! Thanks!