Sometimes I use a cut off balloon on my pointer finger or my thumb so I can grip the needle and pull it thru as I hand quilt. I buy the cheap bag, 50-100, small balloons and just cut an inch or so and place it on my finger. I also use the ring thimble because my fingers are extra small too, freeing up the thumb and pointer finger to quilt. My Pa. Amish friend quilts in the large floor frame but she keeps the sandwich a little loose. In other words, she cannot quilt when it is tight. She is the first person I knew that does it this way. I like to quilt out of the hoop too but I may try her method but use the oblong hoop. MY friend from high school gifted me her MIL's antique Victorian quilting frame along with a beautiful sofa parlor table. I hope someday to see the antique frames in use at the quilt shows. I think it would add a whole new dimension to the shows. After all, it is a part of quilting. Did you try the ring thimble? Inexpensive to me.