I talked about how to hand sew in the chat room with some of the ladies and found it a bit different in the way as we do in Japan.
Is this quite new to you???
Do all the ladies use metal cap top on your middle finger?

Hello from Spain Youme :D

That looks a very different technique than how the majority of Westerners sew, I like the idea of an open thimble on the middle of your finger, although I have never seen one for sale :D

Hello, Izy.
I even didn't know that the thimble we use is not sold there.
In Japan, Hawaiian quilt ispretty big and they use the same type of thimble that western people do, but for me, the way I showed in the piture is the fastest way to sew .

That is different. Pretty neat. I think my fingers would cramp up. beautiful work. Love to see more pictures.

Youme, I think however we are taught feels right :D I love your quilt too :D

Interesting, I have never been able to use a thimble, if I need something I use the rubber finger protectors that they use in offices :wink:

That is quite different! I wonder how hard it would be to learn to do that.

Kyia

Quite different from the way I was taught! Looks way more efficient though!

It is easier way for me to push the needle with more stress to go through the whole sandwitched fabrics and battings without hoops.

And Laies, I have a question here.
Do you use a longer needle for quilting?
It IS my way, and teacher never recommend me so, but I handsew everything with the short needle, that just fit my finger when I hold it in this way.

How unusual. I can see how it would work.

It truly looks like a more efficient way to hand sew with a thimble than the kind we typically use here in the U.S. I have seen ones similar to ours (closed end, fits on the end of a finger) without the end, but not one that slides up your finger. Also, where I live we have a bit of a "cultural" thimble, made from seal hide. They look like a little "shoe" and are open on one side (the fingernail side) and have a little band that hold them on. I have yet to try one, I'm just too used to the one I grew up using. I even think I have one, I just don't know where it is!

M

Now, this is very interesting indeed! I have never seen a thimble like that one either, and I collect them! Huh....

It is hard to get used to using a thimble, but, once you do, it is a finger savor. Just keep trying different ones until it does feel right.

It depends on the project what needle I use to sew with. I think what you are using is a between. The nice thing about those is you can get great control of your stitches.

I have a hard time using any thimble. Most of the metal ones are too large for my finger tip and then when I get a plastic one it sweats and is uncomfortable. A friend of mine told me to get a leather one like she uses for beading but I have been unable to find one in my price range. I have never seen an open side one and I would love to see one for the middle of your finger like in the above fingers. This site is so full of info!!!

Miss Tami

I may have seen a thimble like that, but didn't realize that it really was a current model! I may have thought it was antique! Will keep my eyes open! Thank you for sharing! :lol: :lol:
The shorter needles make it easier to make smaller stitches. It is easier to rock the needle when it is shorter. At least that is what I have found. :lol: :lol:

I've always used a metal thimble on my middle finger (I guess because my mother did) yours is very interesting, I can see how it can be useful. You wouln't have to turn your hand to get your thimble in line with your needle. I will be on the look out for a thimble like yours. Thanks for sharing.

Miss Treated,
I would like to see the shue like thimble you mentioned above. Could you please show me the picture how you hear it?

I had been wondering if our thimble is traditionally Japanese or something came fro western culture.
There might be any other ways of handsewing in the world. :)

youme, is there a website catalog place that your kind of thimbles can be purchased?
Deara

I moved all my sewing stuff upstairs so i have been sorting...I have a package of these...it says ring thimble and is fons and Porter so I must have got them at joanns.....I tried all kinds of stuff for hand sewing :wink:

I tried googling on where you can get it in USA, but all I could find out was Japanese online shop. There are some thimbles made with leather (leather ring),too.
http://item.rakuten.co.jp/yanagiya/c/0000000574/

Just to show you what other kind of thimbles we have here.

Thank you so much youme.
Deara

Ruth thank you for the info.
Made a note to check out Joann's online later.
Deara

http://search.store.yahoo.net/cgi-bi....autodone=http://edit.store.yahoo.com/RT/NEWEDIT.yhst-96748182234973/961d6d3ab0a4/nsearch.html

on this page at the quilters warehouse

Ruth, thanks for the links. I wonder why you ave these in USA. Is it an old way of handsewing in USA,too??

I use a leather thimble as the metal ones just fall off my finger (I've got small fingers I guess) and the leather one has a little bit of elastic in it to grip my finger better.. although there are times it will still slip a bit..

So, do you use the same type of thimble as I do?

youme, thank you for showing how you hand sew. I really think I will try that..it looks a lot more like what I would like to do. I make myself use the end section of my finger (because I keep telling myself that it is the "correct" way to hand sew)...but..I tend to want to use the same section of my finger that you do to put pressure on the needle to push it through. Huh...now I find out...like everything else...there IS no "correct" way..! This is really exciting and I'm going to have to get one of the ring thimbles!!

Youme

I am with most of the other gals here...... I don't like using a thimble it gets in the way when I try to pull the thread through the quilt.
I am going to look for one of your thimbles..... and give it a try.

Thanks for sharing...... we can all learn from each other.

I use the same finger but like the rubber finger protector :wink: they are in the picture also...but you can buy them by the box at office supply :D stores

You might just have to make a tutorial for us Panda. It's a neat thimble, but I just can't picture in my head how to hold the layers and my hands to then sew.

miss tammy Look at a quilt shop now. They have a colored jelly plastic one that looks interesting.

Wow Panda, that is different! And what beautiful stitches you make; :D

I don't use any 'protection' (!) when hand piecing or appliqué and for quilting, I've tried all sorts of thimbles but couldn't get on with them; Then I discovered these sticky little leather circles and I stick one on the tip of my middle finger; they really work for me as they protect your finger tip for pushing the needle but you don't lose any flexibility in your finger joint; there's a pic below. I get them from Cotton Patch in the UK but I see that they're made in the good ol' US of A, their website is www.colonialneedle.com. You get 12 for around 5 pound sterling and one lasts me ages - at least a whole bed quilt so they're not that expensive. When not in use, I 'park' it on the edge of my quilting frame!

I use a short N°9 quilting needle and love it best when it's a well-used one that has a nice bend in it - until it finally snaps and I have to start again, 'training' a new one!

For under the quilt, I use my middle finger to feel the point of the needle. I know ladies who use a thimble here as well (even one who puts on a false finger nail!) but I like to feel the point the second it's through as this keeps my stitches neater and shorter, so I just suffer for the first few days until i get a callous on that finger! The best thing would be to hand quilt a little everyday just to maintain that callous but it doesn't always work like that!

Off topic slightly but relevant to different ways of doing things, I was taught to knit around age 7 by my lovely (sadly passed on) Auntie Lily. Because she'd had a stroke, she couldn't knit in the conventional (English, anyway!) way of wrapping the yarn round her fingers and holding the needle permanently in her right hand, just using her fingers to cast the wool over. She had to let go of the needle everytime and cast the yarn over with her whole hand. And this is the way I STILL knit! I've tried to learn the other way but just can't 'unlearn' Auntie Lil's way! Even my old dragon of a needlework teacher at school who said I'd never maintain tension and yelling at me and trying to force my hands in the right position didn't succeed - as soon as her back was turned I went back to Lil's method! By the way, every sweater I made, I checked the tension and I was always bang on, so there! :wink:

This is a really interesting thread, thanks Panda!

K x

sure would love to find one of these...anyone have a site?

Joanne's...look up above your post...its on this thread somewhere.

http://www.colonialneedle.com/cgi-bi...tip&search=yes

only 5.60 for you guys! Why is everything so much cheaper over there? Maybe I should move!

K x