I use a thimble to hand quilt. I watched an Alex show where she advised to buy an expensive thimble, she said the difference in high end and cheap thimbles was amazing. I can't see spending that much money on a thimble. Just my opinion LOL, some may not agree.
I have had my metal thimble so long I don't remember how much I paid or where I bought it.
The only complaint is that it makes my finger sweat in warm weather.
I also like the open thimbles. I tried a few of the cheap ones to see if I would like them and they do wear out fast. I'm looking for a better quality.
I switch from middle finger and first finger and I only use one on my right hand.
Does anyone use a thimble to sew????
Rosa

I have never been able to use a thimble. It just feels awkward for me. My mom always used a thimble for hand sewing.
When I sew bindings by hand, I put a very small bandaid on my finger if it gets sore.
Linda

I am another one who has not been able to find a thimble that is comfortable to use, so I do not use one. I do give my hands/fingers a rest when they begin to hurt, and have just learned to 'deal with it'!
Barbara

I use a thimble whenever hand sewing. I've got a rubber one that's nice for easy-to-needle projects, but prefer a good metal one for quilting or pushing the needle through heavy fabrics. I used to use a leather thimble for quilting, but after having the eye of the needle push through it and stab me a few times, I went back to a metal needle.

I don't often use a thimble but when I do, it's a leather one. I don't do any hand quilting now or I'd probably use a metal one with the indented top. I've tried it a bit and it works well. I even cut the tips off old leather gloves and use them for applique work.

My favorite to date is the cheapy Clover pink plastic open adjustable thimble on my middle finger. I custom fit it over a metal thimble in a cup of very hot water. I wanted to like the metal open adjustable but it has shallow dimples.

I thumb quilt, too, with both thumbs. I make a black electrical tape sandwich about five layers thick and stretch it over both thumbs in a V-type loop. By the time the adhesive melts away this plastic tape is also custom formed to your thumb and you can slip them off and use them again next day. They do wear out in a few days, but I could always tell by the feel when I'd used one down to one layer of tape. They take about a minute to make once you get used to it.

I like the electrical tape because it leaves your thumb tip open, leaves your thumbs fully functional for gripping the needle, and fits so close you can really feel your needle control.

Cats like the black tape thimble for a toy so take care they don't eat it. They will definitely squish one if they can get hold of it.

I got a sterling Roxanne's at the Paducah show, for snob value I guess, but I haven't had a chance to use it on a quilt yet, being a very slow piecer.

I've tried thimbles and recently tried again as I started doing more stitching by hand. I am apparently not coordinated enough to make it work or they are all faulty! I have my mother's old metal one, a leather one that sort of works, a couple other metal ones of various designs, and most recently a rubbery one that I thought might finally resolve my thimble issues. But that one must be broken too because it doesn't work either. I've tried them on all fingers and thought about using them on my toes just in case that was the secret.

I think I'll just have to put up with punctures.

Kate

I don't usually use a thimble either. Of course, I do little hand quilting, just bindings usually. But when I need a little something to help my finger, I use the cut off finger tips of exam gloves. Toolgranny recommended cutting the finger tips off soft leather gloves from thrift stores, and those do work well also. s

beverly

I almost always use a thimble when I hand sew anything.
When I sew on a button, my middle finger "feels" naked, I've sewn with a thimble so long. (I am always the thimble when I play Monopoly) All my favorite thimbles are old; my very favorite has formed cotton stuck in the tip because when I was a teenager I grew my fingernails to obscene lengths:). It is dimpled, domed top and worn thin. Another favorite is a red plastic thimble. I recently looked at it carefully and it needs a good scrubbing, but I thought, it is my 40+ years crud, another day.

Because I also sew on heavy canvas and sailcloth, I have various other leather thimbles, palm thimbles, anything to push that needle thru heavy multiple layers.

I do believe getting used to using a thimble is an acquired skill/habit. Since I don't quilt by hand, my needs and stitches are different, but thru the years, I've sewn alot by hand, and a thimble was as important to me as the needle and thread. Delicate hand sewing, putting in a zipper by hand in wedding dresses, and formal attire, tailored wool lapels in suits and coats, all require precise stitching -and you need to use a thimble.

I find it amazing I can use and know exactly where tiny thimbles are for years & years, yet I can't keep track of my glasses~Lol.

I have my Grandmother's thimble - she died in the early 60's at a very old age.

Yes, ma'am, I use a thimble. My personal favorite is an English thimble I paid something like $18 for at a quilt shop in northern Michigan some years ago. It's the type with the raised lip and I love it for everything from applique to hand piecing to hand quilting. If I'm sewing by hand, it's my tool of choice. The problem is that it keeps growing legs and going on personal expeditions around the house and I have to play Leonard Nimoy and go "In Search of..." frequently enough.

I did recently buy a green rubber one at a Ben Franklin up north and I like it, too. My biggest difficulty is in finding one that will fit my fat fingers ... I think I wear a size 15 because I wear it on my right-hand middle finger, which also has a callous from years of writing with a pencil.

I, too, have gone the route of leather thimbles, plastic thimbles, and the like. I can't stand being poked with needles (medical, quilting or otherwise), so for me the metal one is the way to go.

I only hand-sew bindings, so I won't be much help. I do use a metal thimble. It has a ridge around the top, and the top and sides are dimpled. It works. It was cheap. For the amount I will use it, I expect it will last forever. I have a tiny porcelain dish on my desk in the studio. The thimble lives there.

There is a second "desperation" thimble tossed into some drawer, in case I can't find the first. It doesn't fit as well.

If I bring a project into the house to work on, the thread, my pincushion with needles, thread clippers, and my thimble all come with the project in a ziplock bag.

I use the elastic thimble with leather over the finger so it's comfortable. When it wears through I just cut some leather from an old one and sew it over the leather already there. It works and lasts longer than the original. I never throw away one until I've used what I can on it.