I use "under thimbles" that I bought from Connecting Threads. It's a small round metal disc that sticks to the tip of your finger. There are 2 kinds--one that is smooth that the needle can slide right off of--I use that one on my under hand and the other has little indentations on it to help you push the needle through. Before I started using those, I had thousands of pin pricks in my under hand and a permanent hole in my upper hand that I used to push the needle through. :-D

I have been hand quilting for 13 yrs & I have to be able to feel the needle so I do get really sore fingers. Bad, pricked, rough fingers. I just deal with it. Sometimes it's so bad it just throbs & I have to let it heal for a day or so. That is with callous & all. I have tried ever thimble, pad, tape out there. The best that has worked for me personally is Liquid Tape or New Skin liquid badaid type stuff. And even that doesn't totally keep the fingers from getting sore. It is worth it though. I do use a hoop. In the Summer mos. I don't do a whole lot of quilting. LOL

I always get very sore fingers when hand quilting, especially if I haven't done it in along time and the calous is gone. Like Gramof6 I need to feel the needle. I've tried the sticky things on my left hand and it just doesn't feel right. Just end up dealing with it.

thanks eveyone for all of the comments

I'm not good with a hoop either, I just sit on a chair and drape the quilt over an end table or kitchen table. I havent found a thimble that works for me either, so my fingers get so sore. I tried the masking tape once while trying to hurry and finish a charity quilt, and it helped, just could not keep it on long.

Thank you everyone for all the advice. It has been really helpful. I will try some of them till I find something that works for me. Thank you, thank you,thank you.......

Merrilin

Merrilin you have all the signs of a true quilter. I am handquilting for 20 plus years and still get sore fingers. I even change to finger 2 or 4 on left under hand and still the same. What works best for me is to quilt for 2 weeks and take 1 week off. As for quilting larger quilts. What works for me is to take over the couch/settee and spread my quilt around me.

When I was doing more hand quilting I bought one of those leather thimbles and put a dime inside to really make it rigid. Another thing I found to help out with the callus was putting clear nail polish on my finger and letting a couple of coats of it dry. It helps and you can just peel it off when you're done for the day.

One of the best methods I've ever used is a teaspoon. I finally got an old one and bent the handle until it sits just right in my "under" hand.

The needle simply glides against the curve the right back up. Actually, it helps me make smaller stitches.

When I read your post I feel really sorry for you all because of your sore fingers. I must be a very lucky person because I don't have problems at all! Last year in February I gave up my job and started to be a full time hand quilter, so I actually quilt about 6 to 8 hours a day. I work without thimbles and other protective tools on both hands. Of course the callus is strong and this helps a lot. Do you think it's a question of the quilting method and how you guide the needle through the material?