I always use a leather thimble. And when push comes to shove, (to coin a phrase) my favorite tool comes into play, that being the needle nose pliers to pull the needle through.
Bess, my avatar and super dog ate my leather thimble. Thank heaven I was through tying a quilt, nevertheless, I have to get a new one.
So when I go on vacation in a couple of weeks, I will bring home a souvenir from a quilt shop - a leather thimble, this time remembering to put it in a prescription container/bottle (those brown plastic things). Gotta keep all that stuff away from the canine vacuum cleaner.
Have a great day - I am having a deck put out in front of the porch and I have two rocking chairs I am putting out there and I am going to enjoy what's left of Spring and the summer doing a bunch of embroidery and hand sewing rockin' away and listening to a good book (right now it is "Mrs. Lincoln's Rival" by Jennifer Chiaverini. Very good book. Edie