How Can I Get My Quilt Sandwhich to Move Smoothly on My Extension Table??
 

I got a Babylock Espire and it comes with a really large extension table which is great as I don't have a set-in sewing table.

I just started quilting today on this machine (mostly stitch in the ditch for now) and found that my quilt seemed to almost "stick" to the extension table and it was quite awkward to get the fabric to advance as I quilted. Is there something I can do to make it move more smoothly?? I have seen mention of teflon or something but need more information on this.

i have heard that wiping the table with silicone spray gives it added slip--watch out for staing though----i have recently seen on dvd[but cannot remember where] a quilter using a domestic machine ---she has a couple of clamps suspended from the ceiling that appear to be holding the weight of the fabric so more easily moved arround the needle

Is the full weight of the quilt on the table or does it hang down on one side? If it is hanging try putting your ironing board next to your table to help support the weight.

Yes, the quilt was hanging down over the front, side and back of the extension table (even though it is 20 by 18 inches).

Previously, on my other machine (a Janome with a small arm) I didn't have an extension table so I just used boxes and containers that were the right height as the machine bed and positioned them in front of and to the left of the machine and that worked well. The same quilt I was working on today on the Babylock actually manuvered better on my Janome set up.

sew slip or supreme slider are great at this. I have the espire and it makes the surface really slick

maybe you could take a picture of your set-up with a quilt in place. Is your quilt falling off the extension table and this causes drag?? I've seen where the sewing surface is enlarged by building up the space on our table that is lower than the extension table with large pieces of some sort of insulation/foam board. The idea is to have a large enough area to hold the entire quilt on an even plain with the sewing surface. I have to watch that it doesn't get "caught up " in my lap!

I have a home made table of wood (painted) and I bought clear plastic at Joann to lay on the table behind & to the left of my machine. I think it help the quilt slide easier.

Sounds like Leah Day's website. She has a tutorial on how she built a hanging device to bear the weight of her quilts so she can FMQ without the weight of fabric drag. Google her name She has a great website with lots of helpful FMQ info.

There is a spray product--It's called Glide and I think I found mine at a LQS. Probably is just silicone, but mine is out in my studio. If you will PM me I can look tomorrow and tell you what it says on the label. I also make sure to use spray starch on my backing fabric before I sandwich it and I think that helps it slide better and I do use a Supreme Slider. I saw an extra large Supreme Slider at one of the booths at the Houston Quilt Show and will probably order that one of these days, but didn't want to spend the bucks on it right now. My husband is going to hang a towel rack from the ceiling so that I can suspend my larger quilts like some of the earlier posts were mentioning. Leah Day did hers with something else (drawer handles, maybe) but my husband suggested a towel bar and I think that will work better.

i had seen this and was going to suggest it as well, 2 inch foam insulation is about $12/sheet (4' x 8'), cuts with a serrated or electric knife and then cover with either vinyl or contact paper for slippery... it is large enough to cut to fit around your table and machine to have a custom shape to it...and then lightweight enough to move easily and can be stored behind a door somewhere