You're not alone! I've never been able to use a thimble. By the time I'm done with the binding and/or hand quilting my fingers are a mess.

I think I'll take someone else's advice on here and try a leather one before I give up on it completely.

I have all kinds of thimbles, metal, leather, you name it. I'm thimble poor! I don't like any of them. I went to Staples and bought those rubber finger tips for flipping paper pages. I cut the tips off to the size I wanted and use them. I even cut a small one for my thumb (which always splits open and is very, very sore). They stay on good and help a lot. The other part the tips are cut from, I have put them on another finger that I don't use the tip to catch the needle.

Anything short of a rigid plastic or a metal thimble, and the needle punctures through and stabs my finger. Even the leather and the rubber ones.
I use 12 Sharps.

I do exactly the same thing... the amount of plasters I went through when I last did my applique was rediculous.

Funny thing is, I've got 96 thimbles!

:lol:

Thank you. I will have to look for them.

I do not use a regular thimble. I use a small 3/8 " heavy duty felt pads. You know the ones to protect your funiture. I put it on the spot that I wear a hole in my figure from pushing the needle through. You can only use them once. And if you are doing a ton of hand sewing they do wear out. They are cheap and you can get them at your favorite box store. (Walmart) :-D K.

ditto

I tried all sorts of thimbles and prefer to use finger cots. They work great for me and are not cumbersome

I love my leather thimble and you are right, it does work great.

I have found these at quilt shows but I am sure they carry them in LQS