I know this is a odd topic but my friend who is a quilter, we were discussing this issue last night. She has looong artificial nails and I have my natural longish nails so were were just wondering. Okay I am adding a pic here of the length I keep my nails. Now I am wondering. How other quilters keep theirs. I find sewing and machine quilting with longish nails fine. But hand quilting is a bit more of a challenge.

How do others wear theirs nails??

Lisa

I actually have my "fake" nails about that length also. When I was hand quilting I used the fake nail to push the needle thru the thread, made it easier for me.....ssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhh I am positive that is not the proper thing to do, but it worked for me :lol:
Sharon

I keep my nails at about your length and I have no problem with hand quilting -- except for my left thumb nail -- I'm always "splitting" it with the needle and we won't talk about how many times I've bled on a quilt because the needle slipped under the nail (ouch)!

See my friend said the same thingSharon. with her "fake" she uses her nail to push the needle through. I have done that with my real and the dern neddle either bent the nail back and broke it or like sewjoyce under the nail..very painful :(

I tend to use my left thumb (and nail) as a guide for spacing stitches...does anyone else do this??

hmm, I have never even thought about that.

Mine are about the same as yours and all I do is hand quilting. When I quilt a lot, days in a row, I will eventually get a callas on my pointer and middle fingers of my left hand, I switch between them to feel the needle on the bottom side. Does anyone else do that?

I keep mine about the same as yours. I do some hand stitching and mostly machine sewing but it annoys the heck out of me when I lose my right thumbnail. I break them occasionally. I try to keep them at the rught length so they own't break. I can't stand to lose my left first finger either. I use my thumbnail to open seams and it is hard when I don't have it for awhile. I couldn't sew without fingrenails!
My daughter has always chewed hers down to the quick. Her 10 yr old Joey was amazed that I had fingernails!!! Her 7 yr old also chews her fingernails.
This may be why my daughter has never been able to get the hang of sewing!!!! You need fingernails!!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I have been on both sides. I had my acrylic one very long, maybe twice the size of your nails, and had no trouble. I only needed help to open the chager hole of my cell phone, and I kept a safety pin near by for that. Since I have been gardening a little (or de-gardening) I now keep them very short. Either way I had no problem.

Maria

Oh yeah, I have a callus on my first left finger from hand quilting. You'd think I'd learn after a while not to stick it with the needle, huh?? :oops: :oops: