I just want to show you a method I developed (well, I've never seen nor read about this anywhere) when I got in a panic because my hand really, really hurt after quilting. It hadn't hurt for the first couple of quilts because I was young. But one day…pain was just radiating up my arm!
The fact is, when you hand sew, especially patching and quilting, you are doing a repetitive motion literally thousands of times, and if you are gripping and tightening those muscles, you will end up not being able to do it at all. Not when you're twenty-five, probably, but by the time you are forty-five you'll feel it.
And I know that some of you have told me that you'd love to sew but it hurts. So maybe this can help you!
You want to get yourself two kinds of thimble.
Please don't tell me that you can't use a thimble.
My friend Nancy who sews up an 18th-century storm with her beautiful authentic museum-quality dresses, jackets, shirts, waistcoats, corsets, shifts…you get the idea — didn't use a thimble when I met her, and I browbeat her into using my method because, yes, her hand started hurting even though she isn't forty-five yet.
Eventually you will figure it out.
I bought new rubber thingies to do this post, because my remaining old one was truly gross. Nancy buys something else, maybe from an office supply store?
Hers aren't red. {These are sold for machine quilting. I tossed the package, of course, so I don't know their exact name, but you will recognize them when you see them.}
The point is that it needs to be rubber and soft. You can snip off its tip if your finger starts to get hot and sweaty.
To show you what to do, I used a much larger needle than I usually do (the one on the left) and thick linen thread. Normally I use a #10 or #12 “betweens” needle, which is really small and takes getting used to. However, if you can swing it, it's much easier to push a small short needle with the thimble than a needle that sticks way out.
I also use a thimble that has a little rim on the tip and is magnetized.
This makes your hold on your needle a lot more secure. Not to mention that when a needle does fall to the floor it's a lot easier to pick up! I recommend this kind of thimble over the rounded silver ones you usually see. I agree, they are clumsy.
Think about how you sew when you don't use a thimble. Your fingers grip the needle from the side. You can't push the needle from the back because you'll poke a hole in your finger! So you start gripping.
{Click on any picture to enlarge it.}
If your hands get sweaty or you've put on lotion, your fingers start to slip and you grip even harder.
Now, with the thimbles things are different. Your hand can relax. You can exert just a bit of tension to do what you have to do, but without gripping and pulling.
Here the photo shows what it looks like for real as I go into a stitch (note that there are several stitches on my needle, which I can do because I'm not going to pull them or thrust them through, I'm going to push from the back, and that also leaves more room on the needle for the stitches).
But to show you what I really am doing with that third finger, I moved my rubber-capped finger out of the way. Normally, though, try not to have your fingers flexed like this. It just adds stress. Keep relaxed.
See how my metal thimble is pushing the needle through? (That is my third finger — my second finger is out of the way.)
Now push that needle right to the hilt. Don't start pulling until you have to.
You might be able to do that twenty times with your bare finger on a needle this size, but with a little quilting needle, you certainly will not! You will bore a tunnel right through your flesh in short order!
When you do pull, you are using the sticky surface of the rubber thingy to do the job, not your slippery skin.
Okay, so that's it! Get yourself a thimble and some rubber thingies and get sewing! If you want to, that is!
And thanks to Bridget for the good photos!
*** And let me add: when you are out sewing with these things on your fingers, be sure to explain them to any little children lurking nearby. It kind of freaks them out! 🙂
Susan says
This is fantastic. I have a half-quilted bedspread that I may just take up and finish now.
Anonymous says
What a great post, Leila! I love that magnetized thimble. I'll have to try this the next time I do some hand-sewing. Thanks.Joy, whose hand hurts over lots of things these days–alas, the price of growing older and wiser 🙂
Decadent Housewife says
Afraid I'm in the never use thimbles camp. But these rubber ones make sense.
Mama Bean says
magnetized thimbles. sewers are geniuses… what will they think of next? maybe something to solve the hand-cramping of knitting???
scmom (Barbara) says
I have a leather thimble that I love. Don't remember where I found it, but it fits like a kid glove. I'll have to do some hunting for that magnetop thimble — like a magnetic screwdriver! Awesome.
Barb says
I'm definitely putting those on my list for my trip to Joann Fabrics! I'm sure they're going to have a sale Memorial Day weekend – just waiting for the flyer.Have you tried this method with embroidery? I think it might work with knitting using dpns. I noticed that I've been developing something on my left first finger when I knit with my bamboo dpns. A rubber thing would protect the finger.
Leila says
I think I'm going to try with knitting, now that I have a few extras. It does kind of hurt to poke yourself a bazillion times in the finger with a little knitting needle 😉
Peony Moss says
Thank you, this is so helpful! Now, where does one find one of those magnetized thimbles? The problem I have is that my fingers are not thimble-shaped, particularly my middle finger….
Jessica says
I have been reading for a long time now because your blog is about all the topics I love…cooking, cleaning, quilting, being a good wife, etc. I am bad about not taking the time to comment, but I had to speak up today to thank you for this post. I had no idea there were magnetized thimbles! Genius! I also love the idea of using a rubber gripper on the second finger to help pull the needle through. I always get a BIG callus on that finger when I am quilting (after the first day or so of intense pain, that is).I also use a thimble on my thumb to protect it from getting pricked when I rock the needle up and push the needle through when I am done with my stitches. Have you tried this? Mine is a large yellow thimble made just for thumbs. Now to solve the problem of the pricks I get on my left middle finger (the hand under the fabric)…any suggestions?
Sophie Miriam says
Hmmm. I am in the hate-to-use-thimbles camp. My problem is that I hold my sewing needle with all three fingers–the thumb, the index and the middle finger. I can't do that with thimbles on my fingers. I will have to pick something to handsew and really give your method a try. I fear it will be horrible clumsy at first, but maybe it will get easier (like continental knitting).Too bad the nearest JoAnn's is a 25 minutes drive and I just came back from there yesterday. Grr.Sophiefilasewphie.blogspot.com
Breanna says
Hm.HOW are you ladies knitting that you're poking yourselves… you shouldn't have to shove the knitting needle back out… there might be something up with your tension?Likewise, hand cramps mean you're holding it too tightly or possibly knitting for too long a stretch, although I've knitted for upwards of five hours before without getting cramps.If you can, get a copy of "The Knitter's Handbook" by Montese Stanley out of the library. She has a whole long chapter on different ways to hold the needles, showing arms as well as hands (which makes a difference). This thimble thing is genius, btw–I have used a silver thimble when hand sewing, on my third finger just like you, but the grippy kind is a revelation. Lucky me that my fabric store is next to the grocery store, so I have a good excuse. 🙂
Margo says
Very cool. I will have to try that – I'm going to handquilt a throw this summer (I usually machine quilt). I do use thimbles, by the way (the eldest girl said proudly, following Any Rules She Ever Saw).
MomCO3 says
Thanks! All that bright, happy red is just delicious with the black and gray in the photos. Good job, Bridget!How about a tutorial on sock (or any other kind of) darning?
Katherine says
I don't do much repetitive hand sewing, although I do machine sew a lot. However, I was getting hand and arm cramping from gardening. Especially in the spring when I did a lot of weed pulling. I started taking more calcium and magnesium so my muscles would relax and wouldn't tense up as quickly. Also B12. It worked wonders the next spring.
Leila says
I got the magnetic thimble at Hancock's before evil Walmart put them out of business and then went on to phase out its fabric section, not that I'm bitter.Joann's didn't have them last time I looked, but you can order them online. I have small and a medium and sort of switch between the two, depending on the humidity ;)Breanna, the knitting-needle poking comes when you push the stitches down the needle I think…I do it just like Elizabeth Zimmerman…I think…I'll have to check and report back.Jessica (sorry to be out of order here), you will get smaller stitches if you don't push into your thumb but stop just as you feel a touch. Likewise, I've never found a way to protect my left hand fingers underneath, because you need to feel that slight touch as the needle goes through.You do get callouses, but you have to train yourself to stop just as you feel it. But every once in a while, ouch! At least that's just the pad of your finger, not a radiating pain up to your shoulder! ;)Katherine, I'm going to try the supplements because gardening is starting to really hurt! Now what about this — is milk of magnesia a good way to get magnesia? Or not?
Lindsey in AL says
I am a bit of a thimble nazi myself but I have never seen a magnetic one- genius! Mine is indented on the end (although I have useless, rounded pretty ones too, just to look at) and it makes a huge difference. Now I will have to look for a magnetic one. And although I've never used the rubber chicken plucker finger things, I will keep my eyes peeled because I see the advantage there as well.The thing about a thimble is that that IS different from not using one, and it takes a little while to re-learn quilting using one, but I can't fathom trying to do it without one. Now you have me really hankering to start a new quilt but the next one on my list is going to be machine quilted. Super-king-sized for my own bed; planning to do it in 4 smaller chunks then sew them together at the end, but I am pretty sure it will never get done if I decide to hand quilt it (haven't even finished pressing the fabric yet :P) The "born-baby" will need a quilt though so that can be my next hand-quilting project.
Puffin Hen says
I always use a metal needle on my third finger – couldn't quilt without it – but I've really been struggling with that final pull through with 3-4 stitches on the needle, especially through the piecing seams. I even asked to borrow my husband's pliers last time I was quilting; it was wearing me out! Love the idea of using a rubber thimble on my index finger. I'll definitely give that ago and try to avoid breaking into our domestic hardware department next time!
Thimbles of the Worl says
Join Thimbles of the World at <a href="http://thimblesoftheworld.blogspot.com/http://thimblesoftheworld.blogspot.com/<br />and look at my collection at <a href="http://mythimblecollection.blogspot.com/http://mythimblecollection.blogspot.com/<br />Greetings from Poland,Agnieszka
Butterfly Momma says
Wow! This may actually get me handquilting again. I have two beautiful quilts that I want hand quilted but am too frugal and too fussy to get them quilted by anyone else. I'll have to dig out my shorts (needles, that is!!) and get a magnetized thimble. I have lots of those rubber thingys in my home filing cabinet right now. Thanks again!! I have a feeling that this is a post that I will refer to again and and again!!
Betsy says
Leila, oh I hope you don't mind. I linked to this tip on the web site "sew mamma sew". I am starting to get arthritis (I'm in my 30's) and know that your method is going to come in handy for many a year. It was here -http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=7656#comment-249060
Leila says
Dear Betsy, I'm so happy that you linked! I'm saddened when I hear that someone who enjoys it can't sew any more. If this helps, great!
Theresa says
I love the idea of using the rubber thing too. I have been using a metal thimble with a rim around the top for my hand sewing after pretty well poking a hole in my middle finger because I thought it was easier, but like several people have said I have had a hard time pulling the needle through at the end. One suggestion for anyone who doesn't like the feel of the round, metal thimble on their middle finger would be to squish it a bit. I stepped on mine once because the cat knocked it down and I didn't notice until too late and suddenly it fit WAY better. By squishing the bottom a little bit it became more of an oval, just like my fingertip.
Jacob says
Hello, do know of any thimbles made specifically for the larger width of the thumb please?
A “thumble” if you will.
Sarania says
Thank you so much for posting this. My fingers were killing me and as soon as I read this I ran right out and got a thimble and a rubble thingy. Truth be told I never used thimbles because I didn’t know how to. Since you showed me here how to use them, now I will never go without them. I am a historical seamstress as well so hand sewing is the standard. And dare I say I sew faster thanks to these thimbles! Again, thank you, thank you, a million times thank you!