I just recently started hand quilting also. I bought self-stick thimbles to use on the underneath finger. They're great! The brand I bought is "Thimble-It". They're small oval self stick vinyl that stick to your fingertip, and they're so sticky that I use the same one several times. I just store it on the outside of the plastic package when not in use. They protect the finger, but you can feel when the needle comes through to the bottom.