I,m having to have my joint in my fingers that is closest to my fingernail fused together and will have no bend in them, they are bone on bone will I still be able to quilt.

I've not had that done but I would think you could certainly still quilt. people work out ways to do what they love best. Don't fret, i'm sure you will figure out ways to hold the fabric and pin and sew.
good luck

Good luck with your surgery!! And where there's a will, there's a way!! I'm sure you'll figure it out!

ask the doctor for a referral to a physical therapist and then after that an occupational therapist so you'll be able to get back to quilting.

the physical therapist will restore you to the best level of motion you'll be able to achieve and then the occupational therapist will show you how to function with a needle and thread given your range of motion.

its a very common form of occupational therapy to refine detailed motor skills. they work with needle, thread, tiger tape, and some fabric.

explain to the doctor that you do numerous charity quilts and the community would feel a tremendous loss if you weren't able to regain this function in your life

Good luck with the surgery. You may want to check out a different method of hand quilting where you don't bend your finger as much Check into the Aunt Becky method. It's more of a rocking motion with a metal guide.

I agree, you will find a way around it!

Bless your heart! I hope the surgery goes well, you get relief, and that you are back quilting soon! I have arthritis in my spine and have so far kept myself moving enough to keep it from having to HAVE to have surgery. The docs keep encouraging me to let them cut but no way until I can't walk anymore.

I will keep you in my prayers and thoughts. DO the therapy for sure, it will hurt but short term.
Hugs,
Sharon

Sorry if I missed but which finger is it?
I am sure you will find a way to do something you love.

I know I ahve this to look forward to both in my back and my little finger....right now I am just plugging along.
I am much too young to feel this dang old :?

HI there,
I almost lost my right index finger 36 years ago, and when they did the repair surgery I lost the use of the joint below the fingernail. I am right handed; and still am able to cross stitch, sew, crochet, knit, and have just started doing wool applique. You should be fine when done your therapy. Actually, I don't even notice it unless I think about it now.
Good luck and hope you have a great outcome!!!
Nancy

it;s my first finger ,middle finger and pinky on right hand then later on my left first finger and middle one, thanks for the encouragement and prAYERS

I am sure you will find a way to quilt. Let your physical therapist know you want to and they will help you find a way. Good luck with your surgery and I will keep you in my prayers.

You can still quilt, you just may need to accept a few changes.
I have rheumatoid arthritis which is always on both sides. Some years are really bad. It can even be different one day from the next. In times my fingers are stiff, swollen, painful, I can't bend them enough to pick up things, sometimes even hold things like a mug onehanded. I can never close my fingers to a fist so coins, buttons, pins, fall out. What I had to change permanently was to cut fabric for brief periods on days I can hold the rotary cutter or ask someone to help, to accept machine sewing only and to give myself projects with no deadline or one that's a long time off. I never know what each day will be like. I haven't been able to work on my project for the past few days, but I know the baby quilt isn't due until Oct so the only pressure on me is that I want to do it so much. I can do the July BOM whenever I can manage it. When you can't bend your fingers, you need to make everything you hold be fat and wide. I've had to cush up lots of things to accomodate my hands; you should see how I hold my fingers sticking out when leaning on my cane (bad feet/ankles), only my thumb and heel of hand are holding on.

But your first plan should be what others here said... go to a hand physical therapist and occupational therapist for the best ultimate outcome. Be clever and kind to yourself and you will still enjoy quilting!
Cathy

I have RA and had some work done on my hands, but you can learn to work around it and the biggest help was PT. You will have to work hard with this and then have a home program to keep using and you should do fine, and do anything you want to do.

I don't know the answer to your question, but wanted to thank you for posting it. I have RA and the suggestions/comments of those who've posted are really encouraging. I, too, just do my rotary cutting on days that I can. Some days I can't hold anything and small items fall out of my right hand because my fingers don't close all the way. Nice to know others have found ways to adjust and still be able to quilt. I'd hate to have to give it up.

I have the ole arthur in a couple of my fingers and they will not bend. Follow clues from Klue and you will be back to quilting in no time. Once a quilter always a quilter! Good luck with the surgery.

I, too, have RA. It is encouraging to hear how other quilters cope!

Good luck with the surgery! Keep using what you have and keep your skills! :lol:

My toe and back have been fused and I can still quilt, LOL I hope you mean machine piecing. I have one hand that is almost useless but I manage. I've learned to do many things with my left hand. Good luck and don't fret, you may have some frustrations early on but you will get past them.

I have lupus and fibromyalgia, as well as some pretty severe injuries from a car accident. I broke both of my arms and lost half of my right heel. I was in PT for many months. I had radial nerve palsy in both hands(my hands were paralyzed...) for about 3 months. My hand therapist was wonderful. She got me back into shape so I could not only feed and dress myself, but write and quilt, etc. I still have problems every now and then, mostly with the lupus symptoms, but my arms ache horribly from time to time and my foot hurts all the time. If you love to quilt and you have the fortitude to stick with the physical therapy, you will be able to quilt again.
Good luck with your surgery--and my prayers are with you too!

Quilters are the Mother of inventions. Good luck.

Ditto to everything that has been said. I, too, have Arthritis (they keep checking me for RA but so far they haven't told me the arthritis has progressed to RA but I have it on both sides of my body, can't close my hands most days and hurt all the time but I've learned like everyone else has said .. I wait until my "good" days to do things like cutting which is what I find is hardest on my hands, shoulders and back. I don't (can't) do any hand sewing but that's OK, I never liked handsewing much but as a young woman did alot of hand embroidery which I did like but had to give that up many years ago. Hang in there. Hope your surgery is a HUGE success and that your therapy gives you as much ability to use your hands and fingers as you need for any quilt project you want to do.

Hugs and prayers for a speedy recovery.