Betty Bands vs Quilting Gloves
 

Just looking for some opinions for Betty Bands vs Quilting Gloves. Which do you like and why? Have you tried the other? Why don't you care for them?

I have never tried the Betty Bands but I did purchase the Machinger gloves for my FMQ class that I took and I felt they were very helpful.

I have tried gloves and also the foam bats. Did not like either. Use my bare hands.

I have the Machingers gloves and love them, and won't quilt without them, but was getting ready to order some things from Clotilde and saw the Betty Bands. Just wondering what everybody thought of them.

I use the Machingers and haven't tried the Betty Bands. I thought you were supposed to use your finger tips instead of your palm to move the quilt so I haven't given much thought to buying them but I'd love to hear what people that have used them have to say.

Suzy

I have both. I use the betty bqnds for smaller projects and the machiner gloves for bigger. I like the bands better because my fingers are free and I can pick stuff up. like scissors and pins.

I thought I would like the Betty Bands for this same reason. I ordered the medium/large size (I wear medium in disposable latex gloves and also in dishwashing gloves) and the bands are too small for me. I don't know if they were mis-sized or what, but they were a disappointment.

I'm not fond of the Machingers because they are too warm (my hands get all sweaty - yuck) and I can't do anything else while wearing them. I love my Fons & Porter quilting gloves; to me, they are much thinner, which enables me to deal with pins while wearing them. They are made of fabric and seem more breathable.

I tried to make a home-made pair of Betty Bands using that Dollar Store shelf liner stuff and they worked pretty well, but my design is not perfected yet (LOL).

I haven't tried Betty Bands but do use Machingers. One drawback to them is that I constantly have to take them off and put them on to handle thread, etc. Otherwise they do really help with fabric motion.

I have both and don't care for the bands, my fingers get really achy if I don't wear the gloves

I don't have the Betty Bands or Machingers. I tried the finger tip thingies but they didn't stay on well always and made my fingers tips sweaty and you have to take them off to rethread. I was going to get the Machingers but I tried the gardending gloves which worked well until it came time to rethread sooo I cut off the finger tips and Bingo!! I love 'em! Plus they're wonderfully cheap!

Another vote here for Machingers. Would be lost without them now that I've tried them.

I have the Fons & Porter glove and just love them. They are so
light, you hardly know your wearing them. I cannot FMQ without
them.

I prefer the gloves with the tips of the fingers cut off.

I love my machingers thay really make a huge difference, when I forget to put them on I have a hard time

Same here. I love them.
Annie

The Betty Bands are a good idea, but the design needs tweeking IMHO. I love the fact that your fingers are free to pick things up and move stuff, but I too found they were small. Actually, they need to be cut more at an angle. Hey - I'd better stop giving my ideas and start trying to make a new product! Maybe I can get rich.

They sure want a lot of money for those little betty bands. 15.95 or so. Jeepers.

One more vote for Machingers though I have not tried the Betty Bands. I have some arthritis in my hands, and the very slight compression of the gloves helps a lot. Yes, I have to take them off to rethread or to change a bobbin, but I don't do that very often since I'm lucky enough to have a machine with M-sized bobbins. I remove them off whenever I take a small break from quilting, which is generally every 45-60 minutes. I just can't keep my concentration longer than that! I also quilt in a cool basement so I've never had a problem with them being hot. I sure wish they were a different color though. The white color picks ups color from fabric and leaves the finger tips looking dirty very quickly!

Pam

I just bought some Betty Bands and agree, they run small and are kinda spendy. I do like my fingers open, but guess I do prefer gloves too. I just have to cut all the fingertops off too, cuz it drives me nuts to have to take them off all the time....

I can't wear the gloves. I have the Betty bands and love them!

My hands are too slender and the finger things fall off all of the time.The gloves make my hands itchy and then they peel. The best I have found is to use the rubbery pads that are put under glasses to stop them slipping. The stuff is also used for drawer liners for glasses etc. If I have one little pad under each hand, the quilt moves easily and my hands are easily free to do other tasks.When they become shabby, they are cheap enough to discard.

I agree with Mad Mimm! Machingers make it hard to pull thread from bobbin up to the top and other things that require fine motor skills.

I use white cotton gloves with the plastic beads that I buy at the dollar store for 1.00. I thought that perhaps the dots (which are black) might rub off on white fabric but it doesnt. THey breath better than the Fons & Porter gloves that I bought first. the F&P gloves also lost their stretch and are now real loosy goosy.

I have machingers and love them. If your hands get a bit sticky try a bit of talcum

hi i don't post much but i use TAKE HOLD its what the bankers use to count money.
can buy it at walmart or office supply store around $2.00 and it works great benn using it for years

I go to the gardening department and get spandex gloves that have a latex palm. I pay about three dollars and they fit very snugly. They are great for , keeping my hands warm, grabbing the fabric, adds a little massage to my poor arthritic fingers. I have machingers and I do not like them at all....too loose and floppy.

I don't know what betty bands are, but have used Fons & Porter gloves and machingers. But what I really like because I have such small hands and the others didn't work very well for me, is just kid sized regular knit gloves with the dots on the palm. I get mine at Target. They are the BEST (for me)!!

I use cotton garden gloves with the little bumps on them. They work great for me and I have arthritis in both my hands.

I got the cheapie mechanics gloves from Harbor Freight and they work great, but they're bulky. But if you have to take all the more expensive ones off to do things, might as well save money too! (I think I got 2 pair for less than $1). They look like knit gloves dipped in yellow rubber.

The Betty Bands look like they're made of packing materials. Anyone make their own out there?!

I used gloves (like Machingers) until I heard about glycerine. I tried it because I like to try ideas that seem "odd" but it works for me. You put 2-3 drops of glycerine on your fingertips and rub it in with your thumbs--your thumb and fingertips will feel a bit "tacky". This enables you to guide the quilt but you can still thread needles, pick things up etc.etc. I've never experienced a problem with it staining anything or leaving a residue on the quilt.

I do mostly smallish pieces and a LOT of raw edge applique and this works better for me than the gloves do because some of the work is pretty precise and you don't have the added bulk of the gloves. A small bottle of glycerine will last a long time and is readily available at your local chain pharmacy or Wally World. I'm unaware that there would be any adverse health effects from using it but I've never checked.

I bought a pair of gardening gloves, cut the index finger and thumb down so I can pick up pins and thread needle without taking off gloves. I think they cost less than $2.

I have never tried either, I use garden gloves. They work for me and when they wear out, they turn back in to garden gloves!!!

This is what I use -- the garden gloves are wonderful. I got mine in a bin at the flower show and paid $1.00. I tried Machingers, but they were either too big or too small -- the garden gloves are a good fit and I can still grab thread.

Machingers work just great. I just finished buying another pair. You can interchange them from right to left. I've used up both sides. Love them. I have tried other gloves but these are the best.

I use the rubber finger tips from any office store. There's about 12 in a box for less than $5. I think their real purpose is to turn pages. They're great. They grip and yet give your fingers/hands lots of air :)

Never tried either but have the Fons & Porters quilting gloves and they work great for me. They don't get hot, have a good grip and easy to slip on and off when needed.

I haven't tried Betty Bands. I use Machingers gloves and they work well. I will be interested to hear what the Betty Band users have to say.

I took a FMQ class where the teacher had us put a small amount of glycerine on our fingertips. It worked as well as any glove I have tried.