carla m

ok i have a question i hope its not too stupid. ive never hand sewn much but i have a desire to learn to handquilt.
i do everything by machine now even binding. i want to know which finger or fingers you put a thimble on since you have to size them and also what kind of thimbles are more comfortable and easy to use. im planning on trying to teach myself with videos and practicing ive also bought a couple of handquilting books to help. thanks ahead of time for all your help and info.
carla

jcrow

I machine sew everything but needed to attach buttons to a thick coat. I ordered a leather thimble that had steel on both sides of the top. I love it. I've used it on my index and middle finger. I don't know which is correct, but thought I would share about the thimble. It cost quite a bit I thought, but it's like having two thimbles with the double steel on both sides! Very comfortable!!

Hinterland

Carla, I use my middle finger when I hand quilt. After trying a few different thimbles, I settled on a Roxanne. Yes, it's pricey, but it will last forever. However, every quilter is different. Some are more comfortable using their index finger, some are happier quilting with their thumb. There is no right or wrong way to hand quilt.

There is an excellent blog called "Celebrate Hand Quilting," moderated by Caron Mosey. There is also a group of hand quilters on Facebook who are very helpful. The link to the blog is http://celebratehandquilting.blogspot.com/. I think you'll find these very helpful. There's also an online class on hand quilting at Craftsy, by Andi Perejda, that's very good.

Janet

ckcowl

i would start with a couple fairly inexpensive thimbles to try out- it will depend on your (style) of stitching to decide which finger you need a thimble on...i've been quilting for years-own a dozen or so thimbles...and never use any of them. they make thimbles to (accommidate long finger nails), ones out of metal, plastic, rubber, leather, some with dimples, some smooth-even little stick on tabs that you peel off a paper & just stick onto the end of your finger where you need it...it's all a personal choice with no right or wrong--but everyone is different and has different needs- start by a quilting practice piece & see----do you need a thimble? if so, what finger do you need it for?- then visit the lqs and try one that fits that finger & practice some more-
some people quilt with frames, some with hoops, some with nothing but their lap- some even use a spoon on the bottom...there are as many different ways to do it as there are people doing it...just dive in (without investing a bunch of money on items you may never use - like my dozen or so thimbles) and pick up what you need as you find a need for it.

Tartan

There are many different ways that people hand quilt. I use my thimble on my Peter pointer or trigger finger on my right hand. You can probably find some videos on how to hand quilt that will help you.

running1

Even though I'm a new hand quilter... I love my ThimbleLady thimble... I've not mastered her technique, but I love the thimble... also must say I love my new lap/floor stand hoop made by Harry Barnett... (not related, not invested except for what my DH paid for my sort-of Christmas gift, the new hoop and stand...just a very satisfied customer...) The one thing I can say is that I love, LOVE hand quilting!!

Oh, and don't be afraid to take a class or lesson from someone who knows!!

happyquiltmom

I put the thimble on the middle finger of my right hand. I've used a wide variety of them over the nearly 30 years I've been hand quilting. Believe it or not, my current favorite is a decorative ceramic one that just happens to have deep dimples! It fits my finger perfectly and stays pretty cool as I quilt.

happyquiltmom

Janet, thank you for the link...I just requested to join the FB group.

auntpiggylpn

I figured out what finger to put the thimble on after doing some hand quilting. The finger that was the sorest is the one that gets the thimble!!! And just a side note, it's not always the same finger. . .hmmmmm!

Hinterland

Great! The more the merrier.

Janet