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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Thorns among the roses?

This week I added 3 more flowers to the second row of my flower garden quilt.  And let me tell you, my fingers are getting a work out! 


I'm happy with my progress, that second row is now half way done!
But oh my fingers are sore! So much poking, pushing and pulling
 and even a tiny bit of bleeding (ouch!).
So over the course of the week, I set out to find the perfect thimble.
Here's what I found in my sewing room.
Keeping in mind my fat fingers, which of them do you think I finally settled on?
Pros:  shiny, lots of dimples and ridges for needle, doesn't snag thread
Cons: stiff, cold, maybe too small, makes my finger a bit sore
Pros: cheap, lots of dimples and ridges for needle, doesn't snag thread
Cons: makes my finger sweat, pops off, needle slips off the plastic, not fond of yellow
Pros: form fitted with opening for (potentially) long nails, stiff yet flexible
Cons: finger sweats a little, seam on one side snags thread sometimes
Pros: soft, no finger sweating, dimpled metal disc great for pushing needle through
Cons: bulky, seams and ridges snag thread
Pros: leather pad holds needle nicely, flexibility of placement on finger, sticks on, small, no finger sweating
Cons: small diameter can be hard to find optimal placement, thread catches on edge of pad

So, which one do you think I chose?
(let me know in your comments and feel free to make suggestions!!)

I'll let you know which one I settled on next One Flower Wednesday!

17 comments:

Leanne said...

Maybe the leather one????
Your garden sure is looking nice.

Love Leanne

Christie describeHappy said...

Total guess... the last one? I am glad you are talking about thimbles... I need to invest in one and really have no idea which one to try. Your flowers look great!

Stray Stitches (Linda G) said...

I use the thimble pad all of the time!!! I couldn't ever get use to having something over my entire finger tip.

Stray Stitches (Linda G) said...

I almost forgot to say I love how your flower garden is growing!! Beautiful!!

Karen said...

It is not really funny, but that is funny how much pain you suffer sewing your garden together. Why so much poking, pushing and pulling? It should be effortless, only catching the tops of each hexagon with your needle. Are you maybe catching the paper templates? That would make it difficult.

As for the thimble, I think you are going with the metal one. I only use a thimble to hand quilt and find the metal one to be the best. I have two different sizes and use a larger one on fat finger days! ;)

Wendy said...

Hey Karen, I guess I exaggerated a bit. But the difficulty is the little white dots on my stepping stone fabric. Those dots are thick and kind of stick to the needle if you push right through them. I try to avoid them as much as possible but somtimes I can't. I didn't have any problems prior to the white fabric. Honestly, it's not as bad as it sounds. :D -wendy

Jeanette said...

Wow Wendy. Your blooms are very beautiful. The quilt will look stunning. Happy Stitching,

annemieke said...

Your flowers are so nice , i love the green hart. Have a nice day.

Gr Annemieke.

Paula said...

Hi Wendy your flowers are really beautiful, I like how they pop out with the sashing. I always use metal thimble. Which one did you choose?

Sandra said...

Your flower garden is really looking great! As far as the thimble...hmmm I think the leather one looks like a good choice. I've tried the metal and plastic ones and I can't stand either type. I'll be interested to see what works for you.

Faith S. said...

Hmmm, since I can't sew worth a darn and would probably find a way to poke myself even WITH a thimble on....but, my guess would be the last one, simple little leather patches.

Gorgeous flowers you are growing by the way. Can't wait to see the finished garden!

-Char

Gerda Hartman said...

Your garden is becoming wonderful.

Kate said...

Hi Wendy...Thank you for stopping by and leaving a lovely message,Your flower gared is looking GREAT !!!..I will be very interested to hear the outcome of your thimble search ,,,I have the same problem myself and just plod on without one at the moment,,,

Valentina said...

Dear Wendy, Your garden is Stunning!

..but I understand and need to tell you: the one thimble that has saved me working on my Klosjes is the Flexible Clover one: no sweating!!! I'll send you the link. And seeing your gorgeous Hexies coming together makes me miss mine soooo much! Yours are coming together beautifully, but not at such a cost. I remember resorting to masking tape at some point... Sending you the link right now!

Raewyn said...

Your garden is looking great - gorgeous colours!! I have only tried the metal or plastic thimbles and can't get the hang of either - no flexibility; I keep telling myself I should wear them around the house when I'm doing other things and they will soon become second nature. In the meantime I develop good callouses!!

Naturally Carol said...

That is going to be one breathtaking quilt when finished..the heirloom variety! I can just imagine the multitude of little stitches needed though and I think from your comments you will choose the faux leather one to help you. It would be nice if you could find one with all pros and no cons though.

A Gardner's Cottage said...

What a beautiful garden you are growing! Love it. I know which "thimble" I prefer but am looking forward to seeing your pick.
Have a great day.

Nancy