Understanding Different Types of Thimbles

While everyone has probably seen what a normal sewing thimble looks like, this is one that's been around for ages, you may not be aware that there are many different types of thimbles that you can use if you don't like having to wear something just maybe on the tip of one of your fingers. This is a standard thimble. This is generally the shape that they come in. Sometimes they have a rounded top, sometimes they have a flat top like this. If it has a flat top on it, it will generally have a ledge around the outside edge. This is to keep the needle from coming off of the edge if you slip to one side when you are using your thimble. So if you rock your finger one way or the other, you have this ledge going around the outside edge that will keep your needle from slipping, or your thimble from slipping off of your needle. But this can be sort of cumbersome to wear, sometimes also all of times people don't like the metal thimble. So one option you can find is a silicone thimble. So this one is a little bit easier to fit on your finger. Sometimes it fits a little tighter or looser, they do come in multiple sizes. It is silicone or soft plastic on the back. And then it's hardened on the front, so it still protects your finger. Rather than having a ridge around the outside edge like the previous thimble, it has deeper indentations, or dots, on the thimble that actually catch that needle and make it so that needle is not going anywhere when you use this thimble. So, this is a good option if maybe a traditional thimble doesn't fit your finger or you just don't like the feel of it. If you're like me and you tend to have longer nails, maybe that gets in your way when you're wanting to use a thimble, you can find thimbles that are open at the top. So it has all the same protection on the back part of your finger here, but then you have room for your nail to extend beyond the thimble. These are sizable, so these rings overlap so you can tighten or loosen them. But these also come in multiple sizes. Again, you have multiple ways that you can use this, either straight on like this by putting the tip of the needle into one of the little indentations on the back of the thimble, or you can even use up here, if you need sort of a little edge or ledge to catch that needle in as well. So this is a good thimble option if you have longer nails. Now if you are someone who does a lot of sewing, maybe a combination of hand sewing and the machine sewing and you find that taking your thimble on and off is becoming cumbersome or you're losing it, and you don't want to have to keep doing that, but you don't wanna be doing any kind of machine sewing or working with your fabric while still trying to wear a thimble, you can find what's called a ring thimble. So this is a thimble that you actually put on like a ring, and you can wear it anywhere that's comfortable on your finger. So, if you're not sewing, you can push it all the way down to the palm of your hand and leave it there. You can even leave it here when you're using it. So if you have a particularly hard or heavy fabric that you're trying to push your needle through, maybe you're sewing through some leather or multiple layers of vinyl, you can push using the palm of your hand against the back of the needle and more easily push your needle through, than if you were just trying to use the tip of your finger. If you want to use this on any finger, whatever works well for you and you can also keep in multiple areas on your finger. So, if it's more comfortable to keep it right here as opposed to the palm of your hand, you can do that as well. These also come in multiple sizes and are adjustable, so they should fit pretty much anyone. Another fun option, is sort of a combination tool of a thimble. And this works to either push your needle through the fabric, pull your needle out of the fabric, and then cut your thread once you're done. So, it looks like this. Right here, you have this area, which is essentially your thimble area. It's got all of the little indentations to help catch your needle so it's not slipping around. There's also the exact same thing under here. So if you prefer to push in this direction, you can do that as well. And then this section here, is a needle puller. So again, if you're doing maybe some hand sewing on some layers of vinyl or something that's really thick and you cannot push that needle through, you can pull it instead. So, you take and you put your needle into the little opening here and press down on the button on the top. And you can see a little bar comes down. This is going to grip your needle, so you can pull it through, as opposed to having to push it. So this is something that's really handy especially, again, if you have long finger nails or maybe you just have some dexterity issues, or maybe arthritis or something like that. This is a more ergonomic way to be able to tightly grab that needle and pull that right through your fabric. Then once you're done, it has a little cutter right here. You can tie a knot and cut your threads. So this is sort of a fun multifunction tool if you like the use of a thimble but don't maybe necessarily like to wear a thimble, but you wanna have that pushing or pulling option. This is a fun tool for you. So no matter what kind of hand sewing you're doing, or a combination of hand sewing and machine sewing, choose the thimble you like the best or get one of each and use them in your next sewing project.