Borntohandquilt

I absolutely agree with Feline. I am a handquilter for about 20 years now and of course I have a callous - but it is quite small.
I think it depends on the hand quilting technique you use. I don't use a thimble at all and I don't prick my finger! I push the needle quite deep through the layers and so I'm sure I can feel it on the back of the quilt and the stitch is visible there.
My fingernails are also short and it works. Just in case you come to North Germany one day I would be pleased to show you my way of quilting! :-)

Kat Sews

google spoon quilting. You use an old spoon on the bottom and don't have to poke at your under finger. I takes practice but can be much faster once you learn the method.

cuppi duke

You will eventually get a callous thick enough that it won't hurt. And you will also learn that you may be stabbing too deep with your needle. You will eventually learn how ddep to go and if the finger gets too sore use a small spot bandaid.

Hinterland

When I hand quilt, I push the needle through just enough so I can feel it. If I push too hard, it goes into my finger and hurts. If this is what's happening to you, you might want to try a different brand of needle. Some of them slip through the sandwich more than others.

Janet

granny_59

Thanks for the offer.......maybe you visit basle one day :lol:
I made this huge beginner mistake to handquilt a queen size D9P with a pattern!? Besides a couple of babyquilts I Handquilted (well kind of basted) I had no experience and only knowledge from reading. The suggestion to learn quilting from the beginning in different directions made sence to me but going over all this seams and intersections is not possible without thimbles.
I am about half way done and it does not look so bad at all, if only this problem with the underneath finger could be solved. I even tried this aunt becky (kind of like the spoon trick) and no way to make that working for this quilt. In the video the lady says that she only makes wallhangings with very thin batting with that method.
Oh well, in 20 years I made have figured it out :lol:

purplemem

I just bought an "Aunt Becky" from Barnetts.

http://www.laptophoops.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeSSyueipPw

granny_59

thats exactly the video I was talking about and she starts by saying that she only does decorative quilts...........I think that is a big difference.
I quilt on a grace hoop floor stand and try to keep the quilt in there as loose as possible.

Mkotch

I've had good luck using two layers of black electrical tape on my "under finger."

Alice Woodhull

I need to feel the needle so I end up with a very sore finger the first few days I start on a new one. I put New Skin on every night. I end up with quite a callous when
I get finished. The secret for small stitches is the action of the finger underneath. I have all kinds of thimbles and gadgets, but they don't work for me. I have the Aunt Becky, leather thimbles, clover thimble, and everything new that comes along, but I use one of the thimbles with the end indented so the thimble won't slip off. I use it on my right middle finger to push the needle through. Let's face it, no pain, no gain.

sinceresissy

I try to switch fingers to keep the pain away. If I put a thimble on my pointer finger then I find I am using my middle finger to feel the needle. I am going to try a using a nail or something. I just can't see how borntoquilt does it with no thimbles and those stitches are so neat and small. Oh well, if my fingers get to sore I switch to piecing for awhile. I may try the superglue thing next.