Maureen, glad too see another beginner here! I love the Clover thimble too. My instructor showed us the spoon technique in class but there weren't any for sale so I haven't tried that. I did buy the "Aunt Becky" (you can google it) but I can't get the hang of that either; you're supposed to wear it on your left hand, underneath the quilt. I'm going to check Jo-Ann's for the silicone fingers, haven't seen those yet.
I just love reading all of these ideas and tips!
I know one thing that's really tripping me up is how the quilt is held in the hoop. I've been hand-embroidering for years, and in that technique everything needs to be drum-tight, so I tend to put the quilt in the hoop way too tightly! I'm trying to "loosen up", so to speak, but it seems so foreign to me.