Hang in there and keep practicing. Sometimes it helps to have a practice sandwich on the go. Do a line on your practice bit, before picking up your quilt. Eventually you will find a style/method which suits you. I don't think it's the money spent on the thimble....I have some very cheap/second hand ones that work really well. My husband once spent around $20.00 on a beautiful Japanese metal/leather thimble...bliss to use, but I left it on the coffee table and his dog (then a pup) ate it (no ill effect to the dog....but I still mourn it
).