Thimble substitutes?
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Thimble substitutes? jennellh 05-07-2008
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Posted by jennellh on May 8, 2008, 9:05 pm
Hi Anne, I have needles that are my favourite to sew with and I tend
to use only them, whatever the job. If my thread goes through the
eye, the needle is used! I only switch to a new needle when there is
resistance while sewing. I agree with you about the differences in
the eye end - sometimes that is more important than the
point....jennellh

>
> > I wonder how long it would take to make a needle hole in the pad??
> > Does anyone know if this happens with continued use? =A0jennellh
>
> I've never noticed the pad deteriorate at all, I think you'd have to
> sew for a very long time continuously. They come in fairly large packs
> and it probably depends a bit on your skin and any products you use
> how many times they will restick.
>
> I've also noticed some needles are worse than others, without
> necessarily being better for the rest of the job, so you can have a
> fairly fat needle that is particularly sharp at the eye end and is
> brutal, but a fine needle that you'd expect to be inclined to hole
> your skin not be quite so bad. The problem is once the top layer is
> gone, you're more vulnerable!
>
> Cheers
> Anne


Posted by ME-Judy on May 8, 2008, 1:22 pm
I keep one of the "thimble-pads" on the side of my thread clippers for when
I sew on bindings/do crossstitch/ etc. They work great for me! OTOH- I
don't hand quilt, so I'm not sure how long they'd last... but they work
great for what I do! No more bleeding on my work.<G>
TSWLTH used to carry them, but don't any more. I got my last pkg. at
HobbyLobby when I was last out in IL visiting my SIL.

Checked the pkg I have and found their website online --
They're called "ThimblePad"
http://www.colonialneedle.com/cgi-bin/quikstore.cgi?category=THIMBLES_-_Fingertip&search=yes

ME-Judy


have you tried one of the stick on pads? I think you can get both ones
intended as thimbles and as needle grips, I wouldn't say I'm entirely
sold on them, but like others I've never mastered a thimble and I do
find these can be a help, but wouldn't stick on on straight away, only
once I saw or felt that the skin on my finger wasn't going to hold out
much longer!

Anne



Posted by Val on May 8, 2008, 12:21 pm
I never could keep a thimble on my finger(s). I found a leather thimble
years ago that actually worked for me. It's leather but there's a metal
shield inside it for 'pushing'. Here's the closest to what looks like what I
use http://www.clotilde.com/detail.html?code=396912 . NAYY

I have three, middle finger, ring finger and thumb. Depending on what I'm
doing I sometimes wear all three at once. If you just hang in there and use
it for awhile the very soft, thin leather conforms to your finger and you
don't even realize you're wearing it. Better to get a smaller size, they
stretch at first. Has an opening on top so your finger nail doesn't bash
against the inside. I even sometimes wear one on my right index finger and I
can still handle a needle. I love these!

Also, a trick shown me by a nurse during an extended hospital stay. I was
doing a lot of hand embroidery (forgot my thimbles) and my fingers and thumb
were pretty chewed up and so-o-o-o sore. She dabbed my finger tips and thumb
with straight liquid Betadine during her night shift. In the morning my
fingers were not only healed and not at all sore but they seemed to
be...umm.. 'tougher'...for lack of a better word. I have a little bottle of
Betadine I keep in my sewing stuff just to dab chewed up and punctured
fingers, heals really fast and they don't get sore. I also got some little
foil wrapped Betadine swabs from my doctor, I keep these in my embroidery
box, handy for punctures when you aren't at home. Just something you might
give a try.

Val

>I am looking for a thimble substitute since I have never been able to
> hand sew with one! While stitching down the binding on the yellow
> table runner, I managed to puncture a hole through my right index
> finger nail - I was using the backside of that nail to push the needle
> through the hem and naturally after making the hole, the needle kept
> poking through it. I need more calcium! When I was doing more hand
> sewing, I had an almost-permanent needle callous on my right middle
> finger tip that was very useful. I guess that I am looking for an
> finger callous substitute and not a thimble? Any suggestions??
> jennellh



Posted by jennellh on May 8, 2008, 8:51 pm
Today I have been pulling off little bits of skin that have died
around the non-callous hole in my middle finger tip. I'll be vaseline-
ing again tonight. I'll also ask one of my nephews to supply me with
some betadine packs next time he comes to town. From all the reading
of all the non-thimble items, there are many to try out. jennellh

> I never could keep a thimble on my finger(s). I found a leather thimble
> years ago that actually worked for me. It's leather but there's a metal
> shield inside it for 'pushing'. Here's the closest to what looks like what=
I
> usehttp://www.clotilde.com/detail.html?code=3D396912. NAYY
>
> I have three, middle finger, ring finger and thumb. Depending on what I'm
> doing I sometimes wear all three at once. If you just hang in there and us=
e
> it for awhile the very soft, thin leather conforms to your finger and you
> don't even realize you're wearing it. Better to get a smaller size, they
> stretch at first. =A0Has an opening on top so your finger nail doesn't bas=
h
> against the inside. I even sometimes wear one on my right index finger and=
I
> can still handle a needle. I love these!
>
> Also, a trick shown me by a nurse during an extended hospital stay. I was
> doing a lot of hand embroidery (forgot my thimbles) and my fingers and thu=
mb
> were pretty chewed up and so-o-o-o sore. She dabbed my finger tips and thu=
mb
> with straight liquid Betadine during her night shift. In the morning my
> fingers were not only healed and not at all sore but they seemed to
> be...umm.. 'tougher'...for lack of a better word. I have a little bottle o=
f
> Betadine I keep in my sewing stuff just to dab chewed up and punctured
> fingers, heals really fast and they don't get sore. I also got some little=

> foil wrapped Betadine swabs from my doctor, I keep these in my embroidery
> box, handy for punctures when you aren't at home. =A0Just something you mi=
ght
> give a try.
>
> Val
>
>
>
>
>
> >I am looking for a thimble substitute since I have never been able to
> > hand sew with one! =A0While stitching down the binding on the yellow
> > table runner, I managed to puncture a hole through my right index
> > finger nail - I was using the backside of that nail to push the needle
> > through the hem and naturally after making the hole, the needle kept
> > poking through it. =A0I need more calcium! =A0When I was doing more hand=

> > sewing, I had an almost-permanent needle callous on my right middle
> > finger tip that was very useful. =A0I guess that I am looking for an
> > finger callous substitute and not a thimble? =A0Any suggestions??
> > jennellh- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -


Posted by teleflora on May 8, 2008, 6:12 pm
I have looked for years and never found a perfect thimble. I've used the
suede discs, but found they slid around on my finger when my hand got warm
and then threads would stick to the residue and catch on the disc itself. I
liked the metal discs but still had issues with the adhesive. Plus, I think
I took a layer of skin off every time I pried it off my finger.

I find myself using this one more than all the others I have.

http://www.quilterslittlehelper.com/thimbles.htm

The Diamond Thimble. It's really light plastic. But it works. It's kind
of tight and I had to reorder and get a large. I don't feel my fingers are
THAT big.

I still don't use it like I should, but when I need a thimble, I reach for
this one.

Cindy


>I am looking for a thimble substitute since I have never been able to
> hand sew with one! While stitching down the binding on the yellow
> table runner, I managed to puncture a hole through my right index
> finger nail - I was using the backside of that nail to push the needle
> through the hem and naturally after making the hole, the needle kept
> poking through it. I need more calcium! When I was doing more hand
> sewing, I had an almost-permanent needle callous on my right middle
> finger tip that was very useful. I guess that I am looking for an
> finger callous substitute and not a thimble? Any suggestions??
> jennellh



Page 6 of 6       << first < 1 2 3
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