I do primarily handquilting and a lot of it. I use a leather thimble. I wear it on my right middle finger and another one on my left thumb. They are made of deerskin and have a small plastic disk inside that is located where the needle usually lands. There are several leather thimbles around. The one I like most is tan in color and all leather. There is also one that is gray and has a blue elastic insert. The gray one is heavier leather and not as flexable. Before I became a quilter almost 40 years ago my mother tried to get me to use a thimble when I sewed. It was not until I became a quilter that I did. Now I even use it when I am sewing on buttons.