I have been hand quilting my work for some time. I've built up quite a callous (sp?) on my index, middle and thumb on both hands. Unfortunately, I live in the Northeast and the cold is reaking havic on my skin. My callouses are peeling and hand quilting has become very painful lately. I find it very relaxing to quilt and don't want to stop. I've tried numerous over the counter lotions. Is there someone out there who knows a solution or product that might solve my problem? Please don't say thimble. It doesn't work for me because I use my fingers to feel where the needle is going in the quilt layers. Any ideas?

I can't use a thimble either...they drive me batty... I put up with holes in my fingers, etc.... one thing I use other than regular lotions is udder balm or bag balm. You should give that a try. I have recently heard of thimble-like stick-on dots for your fingers but have yet to find them and try them out... don't know what they are called...something like finger dots maybe? I will try to remember where I heard that and find out what they are called.

I am a old er quilder I had trouble my hand tell now I cane hand quilt so I am learing to do it on a michenNEVA

I have the same problem as the rest of you. And some time it helps to put a piece of cloth tape over my fingers. Not a real big piece and I can still fill the needle that way.
Misty

Okay, This is going to sound silly...
Dierdra, of Roxanne Int., recommended using Preparation-H to heal those owies we get while quilting.
I've not tried it because I use a thimble now but her logic made sense at the time. Can't hurt to try it.

By the way, I'm an old "I can't use a thimble" person but the thimble I got from Roxanne's is the best. I use it all the time now. Just a little unsolicited testimony. :D

You can try sanding down the rough spots with an emery board.
I do that to the corners of my thumbs. Due to my work {nurse}
I have to wash my hands alot. My hands get dry and the corners
of thumbs get thick skin similar to callouses.
I sand them down occassionally to make them softer,
then treat with a good cuticle cream.

I have use that for my hands and it dose help in fact I use it for a lot of thing I have dry patchas on my skin and it helps them some of you saiid you cant use thimble FON_and potor hace come out with thimble it fit just on tip tour finger I LOVE THEM I dont sew a lolby hand I got each my DD abd DDIL one for X-MAS they love them NEVA

Well, I've heard of Preperation H for fever blisters so why not?
kathy

Preparation H is good for burns, too. My son got scalded real bad by a car radiator, and the Dr. said to use that in an emergency. Said there is something in it to increase oxygen for healing. As for the fingers, I use a thimble. Took a heck of a long time to get used to it, but it saves alot of pain. I still get callouses on the needle fingers. Just taking a day off helps, but who wants to do that? Otherwise, bag balm is my treatment of choice.

Well, I think they are called "thimble pads" here is a web site that has a bunch of ideas listed and this is one of them.

http://www.quiltingassistant.com/handsavers.html
Quilting Assistant : Your Hands And Fingers Need Protection

And found a site you can order them from:

http://www.nordicneedle.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=NN&Product_Cod e=6991
Leather Thimble Pads (Pkg/12): Nordic Needle