Originally Posted by
Stitchnripper
i got an "Aunt Becky" a while back and practiced and never got the hang of it. Do you have any recommendations? I watched the video a lot of times.
I think what probably helped me most was that I was only just beginning to quilt, so had only had a few hours of practicing without it. It was important for me to learn because I can be exposed to some pretty nasty stuff at work (like sewage), so the fewer needle pricks on my finger, the better.
I watched this video a few times:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DHEDYeIWz4 (metal-to-metal hand quilting with Sharlene Jorgenson & Jean Brown)
Also this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeKrAHJKAwU (Aunt Becky's Finger Protector)
It took a while to get used to, and I've kind of combined their different methods to make my own. I do leave the quilt pretty loose in the frame. I've also found that it goes easier when I'm quilting with the grain of the fabric, but I have to work harder to make sure I'm not missing my backing when I go against the grain.
I also use a Colonial raised edge thimble similar to the one in Jean's video (when I followed the measuring guide, it said to order a 10, and it was too large, so I ended up getting a 9. However, if my finger is swollen, I wrap a piece of batting around my finger and can comfortably use the 10.) I have really short fingernails, I don't think that one would work if you have nails.