Product Review: Pat LaPierre's Supreme Free Motion Slider

I love to free motion.  Sure, I'm not the best free motion-er that has ever stepped up to a machine, but I do all right and it's fun.  One of the issues I have is space (no room for a long arm!) so I use my domestic machine.  I generally hire a professional long-armer for my bigger quilts, but every now and then I find I have to do one myself.  I don't have a huge amount of space in the throat of my machine though it's pretty decent, so in between battling a small table not supporting a large quilt very well and a smallish machine throat, I am always down to try whatever tricks and products that allegedly make to process easier. 

So awhile back a customer of ours told me about Pat LaPierre's Supreme Free Motion Slider, which is supposed to make free motion quilting soooo much easier.  So I bought one and tried it. 

Specs

• 8.5" x 11" (ish)
• Silicone sheet with hole in the center and a repositionable, self-adhesive backing
• "Regular," Queen, and King sizes
• Cost: I think I got mine for $30ish, but prices vary between $23 and $30 depending on the vendor.  

Pros

• The slick surface truly does make a difference...the quilt moves SO nicely and with less resistance
• The sheet covers your feed dogs, but not your needle hole so there is also less snagging if there is bare batting on the edges beyond the backing
• The backing keeps its stick after cleaning
• If you keep the packaging, it is a great place to store it when not in use to keep it clean
• Adhesive leaves no residue.  

Cons

• The back does get linty and requires cleaning after a couple uses.
• Even with the stick, it isn't fail safe - if you aren't attentive, it can and does shift especially with larger quilts which may accidentally snag a corner and lift it while you're heaving it around into the different positions you need it in.  
• If you don't get it stuck down properly - either there are air bubbles preventing a complete seal, or if it is too linty - it will move on you (which isn't always noticeable) and get stitched onto your backing. QUICK, ASK ME HOW I KNOW.  
• If you stitch through it, and try to remove it, it is VERY easily torn and ruined.  AGAIN, ASK ME HOW I KNOW.  

Conclusion

★★★✩✩

That it loses its stick so quickly and requires cleaning just about every time you use it is a turn off due to the consequences of losing that stick.  I have ruined two of these because I didn't feel it slip out of place on large quilts, and I do try to be very attentive of what the quilt is doing and check the sheet frequently for seal.  This seems to be less an issue with smaller quilts and wall hangings, but it is enough have made me stop using it on large quilts...which is where the benefit really is.  If something happens to my current one, I probably will not bother to replace it. 

Product Review: Quilter's Touch Machingers Free Motion Quilting Gloves

Free motion quilters are always looking for ways to make to process easier, and for those working on a domestic machine, a good tactile grip is critical.  There are tons of products out on the market,  and this is one - Machingers by Quilter's Touch

Specs

• White gloves with grippy material starting at the fingertip and ending just past the top knuckle
• Synthetic material
• Sizes XS-XL
• $8.95

Pros

• The grippy material doesn't wear down quickly
• Good variety of sizes...many only go from Small to Large
• The material, despite being synthetic, is very breatheable

Cons

• There is no grippy material on the palms anywhere.  For me, the gloves tend to slide on my palms between my skin and the quilt which is irritating over long periods of quilting...not only because of the lack of grip, but the friction makes my skin mad. 
• The grippy areas show dirt big time being white.  We don't think of fabric as being dirty, but these gloves pick up whatever dirt there is plus skin oils plus lint and over a fairly short time the end get beige.  Gross.  
• For me, none of the sizes fit right.  I have broad palms and short wide fingers.  The L was too tight in the palm but just right for my fingers.  The XL was perfect for my palms, but the fingers were too long.  But then again I have weird little sausage hands and I cannot fault the product for that at all.  

Conclusion

★★☆☆☆

To be honest, I only go for these in a pinch when I can't find my preferred quilting gloves, which - SPOILER ALERT/QUILT HACK - are a $3 pair of gardening gloves from Fred Meyer's.  The grippy material is all over the surface of the palm and fingers and fits snugly enough that it doesn't slide on me.  $3 compared to $8.95?  No contest.  If you tend to use your fingertips when quilting versus a flat palm, then these will be great for you.  If not, then you're better off saving the $5.