Hi all! Here's the thimble summary for those who are interested. THANKS to those who responded to my plea!
Thanks, again, for the suggestions! I think the "moral of the story" is to keep trying until you find the most comfortable/useful thimble.
I have a small collection of thimbles. In it are a few old taylor thimbles. I also bought a new one at a quilt show that was not very expensive (I think it was $4). I have a habit of trying out different items to find out if there is a better way of doing things. There is a plastic thimble for the thumb that has a little slit in the center for pushing the needle. You can buy it for under $2.00. I bought one for a friend the other day who said her thumb was so sore from pushing the needle that I thought she ought to have one.
Date: Tue, 19 Jul 1994 11:49:07 EST
From: Laura
Subject: Re: the RIGHT THIMBLE
I also like the tan colored $2.00 leather thimbles (with the blue elastic piece), but they don't last long. The needle starts poking through after a short time, and can be rather painful. My solution isn't elegant, but it works fine for me and has quilted about 6 quilts (one was king size with 3 spools of thread).
I take a piece of scrap leather, cut a small circle (about dime-size) and super-glue it over the worn spot on the thimble.
For leather, you can buy scraps, or I have salvaged the leather straps from a pair of broken down old sandals. Also, I cut off the tail of the leather thimble and use that, because I don't like them so long. I have used a couple different kinds of super-glue and don't know the best one yet. But they sort of soak into the leather and make it hard and it lasts quite a while. Right at the beginning, the leather doesn't grab the needle quite the same, but it soon breaks in. When it gets too hole-y and worn, I pull it off and put on another. Actually, I have several and I re-glue several at a time. I hope this helps.
Date: Tue, 19 Jul 1994 22:43:42
From: Barbara
Subject: Re: Finding the Right Thimble
I don't know how anyone else feels about them, but I personally love those "thimble rings". For those who don't know, they are plastic rings that go just over the first knuckle, and are fitted with a dimpled leather piece on the top. Not only do I find them acceptable to use (even to me who, in all of my life of sewing, has NEVER found a thimble I could use), but I find that pushing the needle through with the force of my knuckle as opposed to my finger is a lot easier on my hands!