I quilt with my thumb all the time and use my fingernail but eventually drill a hole in the nail. So I sprung for a TJ Lane thimble that is big enough to fit my thumb. I have one for my index finger and one for my thumb. Prior to getting the TJ Lane I bought one like you are describing and I did not find it to work very well. The cup where the needle sits has no dimples or anything to hold the needle and I found my needle would slip or more aptly ricochet right out of it. I lost patience with it very quickly. Maybe with practice it would have worked. If you PM me your mailing address and if I can still find it I will be happy to mail it to you.