Free Motion Quilting Tool - Super Slider

Recently I showed you my quilting machine, so I thought I would add to that by highlighting another tool that helps make the free motion quilting experience easier,  a "Super Slider".

A Super Slider is a mat the you place under the needle plate area of your machine. The mat is made of Teflon, I think, and it allows your fabric to smoothly slide over the surface. It has a hole where the needle enters the bobbin case area. I rinse it under water once or twice a year to remove dust and thread bits. I don't use soap, just water. I dry it and place it back down. It's good as new each time.

I also place a layer of clear plastic over the entire sewing machine area where the fabric slides. I use a thicker plastic, similar to the weight of a clear shower curtain. In fact, you could use a clear shower curtain for this. I cut a hole/circle where the needle goes, and place the Super Slider over the plastic. I also rub the plastic with waxed paper to reduce friction even more. Every little bit helps to prevent hang ups when you’re stitching. Instead of waxed paper you could spray a product like Glide on a cloth and rub it on the plastic. Whatever you prefer. Slippery is good!

In this photo you can see that I secure the plastic to the table top with a PVC clamp. The clamp is part of a PVC rectangular quilt frame used for hand quilting. The photo below shows the in-tact frame and the clamp section.

Here you see the clamp section on the front of the table. 

This clamp helps the fabric move smoothly across the edge and holds the plastic in place too. In the corners I use a couple of clothes pins to secure the plastic.It's a simple, inexpensive set up that works well.

Hopefully you are getting some ideas from these tips. Thanks for visiting my blog!