Silicone sheet for quilting

Not quite an answer, Sunny - but I have invested in a terribly expensive - about $ 40 for a non-stick sheet for rolling out pie dough and bread and such - and it is a great joy! I feel kind of guilty about not giving every bride I know a sheet of it. It's just so hard for the newlyweds to cook with castoffs and make-do's. Back to quilting - you'd have to think about what area of the SM you were covering with a silicone sheet. Do you have a 'set in' SM with a generous table supporting your quilting - or are you struggling (I am) with a general table that leaves a quilt hanging off in all directions including the weight of a funny kitty and a chubby dog? When I was quilting the latest QOV, I found the quilt much easier to maneuver if I moved the edge of it from beneath the wheel of my chair. Polly

"Sunny" Do any of you use a silicone sheet for free motion quilting? I've read

Silicone(?) or Teflon?

I am a little skeptical (the easy to dispel variety); such a sheet would help things directly on it, but there will still be drag due to the weight of the quilt off the sides. We were just reading something about an attachment or something for FMQ in a generic book. If that would help, let me know & I'll try to dig it out. (It's a little buried...)

Doc

On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:04:29 -0600, Sunny wrote (in article ):

Well, I'm no help. Never used one. In fact, I've found that most of the things that are "supposed" to make my FM quilting easier, don't. Most of the time they are just a hinderance to me and get in the way. The quilt itself is enough to manage without silicone sheets and special gloves, etc.

Maureen

Sunny, I've tried them twice -- once very unsuccessfully, and once

*very* successfully. The unsuccessful version was a very early type, and the tape I used to attach it to my machine bed came loose. I stitched the sheet to the quilt. :O

The second one came several years later, and only after I'd actually tried a loaner first. ;) I now use a SewSlip II and love it! It really does reduce "drag" and also smooths out the little join between machine and table. I know there are other brands, but AFAIK this one is the only one with a large opening for the needle. That little bitty hole some of them have makes me rather nervous. ;) These newer versions don't use tape at all, so the chances of the sheet getting stitched to the quilt are rather small. Whew!

I use one and really really like it. The better kind has a backing that makes it "stick" to the table. That's what I have now. I notice the extra drag if it's not in place. It's also bigger than 8.5 x 11", the size of the first ones available.

(The first one I used had to be taped down - when the tape came loose and the sheet shifted I ended up stitching thru it - just like Sandy.)

Allison

Sandy wrote:

Are you all talking about the "free motion slider"? I always wanted to try that! of course, that would mean I'd have to **finish** something!!

amy in CNY

Sandy,

I enjoyed your story about sewing the silicone sheet to your quilt :-). In fact I thought it was so interesting that I read it to my DH and he turned around and suggested that I get one too :-).

Bev in TX

ROFLOL!