I use unmedicated corn pads. I cut them in half and they work great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD0M7...eature=related (I don't know how to post so I will try again)
This really helped me.

I just remembered seein' this a while back.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...g-t142087.html

I have 2 leather thimbles that I use. They're both small but I had to sew a tuck in each one to make it stay on my finger. I also wrap them with electrical tape to make them a smidge tighter. I have my grandmother's metal thimbles, but I can't seem to make they work for me. :)

I can't keep one on my finger neighter it just comes off so I use the leather quilting thimble for quilting and I just put a bandaid or 2 on my finger for sewing. for quilting i have also put a small piece of leather under the bandaid. it doesn't fall off is comfortable and not bulky.

I never used a thimble when I did counted cross stitch, but a friend insisted I use one - that was 30+ years ago and now I just can't sew anything without one. My one vanity is acrylic nails with gel polish so I have to make sure I get one that fits. When I applique or blanket stitch, I use a silicon one my left hand index finger. When I quilt, I use Marian's Magic Quilting Thimble http://www.momsmagicthimble.com/.

I am reading with hope I can get use to a timble. I been sewing a few years. I have had a bad thumb, and finger
tips that are in bad shape from not using a thimble, the last thing I am still getting over was my left thumb. The
needle went under my nail to the end of my nail, Yea it hurt. The nail I almost 1/2 grown back out. I was lucky not to lose it, Just alot of white under ther nail & a new growing out. Now I must learn to use something.
Best of luck to all who are trying to use a timble.

Fons & Porter has a tip on today where someone said to use the wrap bandages that they put on you after giving blood. It sticks to itself and you can fold over the top to give more thickness. I never got used to using a thimble and my finger gets real sore after hand stitching. Good luck.

I just read about these on another thread, called leather thimble pads on amazon.com. I can't wait to try them. Figure it will help my index finger also. Could not sew with a thimble on my index finger!!

I learned to use a thimble from my mother and grandmother. Especially when we quilted or did embroidery. Now I only use one when I'm doing embroidery. I don't do hand quilting anymore, I don't have the patience for it, especially since everyone I know likes the quilts I make with machine quilting.