Notion alert! Marian's Magic Quilting thimble

After reviewing the TJ's Quick Quilter or quilt spoon for the underhand, it's time to go  to the second underhand gadget in the series, the Marian's Magic Quilting Thimble. I found out about this thimble through the Yahoo group for hand applique and hand quilting and had to try it myself. So I contacted Eric Joy and got the thimble to review on my blog.

The thimble looks like a cone with a rim. The rim is to catch the needle on, to form a ridge and make your stitch. I got the blue thimble, but there are 7 colors to choose from, so no issue in finding your personal favorite. The thimble is worn according to the website on the left index finger, but I know there are people who love to quilt with their middle finger or or even their ring finger. As the thimble is cone shaped, almost any finger will fit in. Price of the thimble is 5$ on the company's website, and I even found them on the web for as little as $3.48, so the price is not a big issue.

Visuals in manual

Text in manual

In the manual a visual is added about how to use the thimble, and some text, though short, is added. I also googled and found a video on YouTube. The instructions are short, and the principle is the same as with most underhand gadgets: a rim to catch your needle and build a stitch.





Now that's the theory, professor, how does it work in real life?

Well, actually, the video shows how the company uses the thimble. No hoop, no frame, the quilt on the lap and the thimble under. Unfortunately the upside is in the video not visible. So I tried it. 

Thimble on my finger

I am a hoop and frame quilter, so that's the first difference. Then I am a quilter who loves to quilt relaxed and having contact between underhand and needle. With the TJ's Quick Quilter I could feel that connection, as the spoon and the needle formed a direct link to my hand, and I could come close to my needle. One way or another, I could not feel that connection with this thimble. I have thin fingers, so the thimble went way over my finger (see picture), but there was still room between the top of my finger and the top of the thimble. To me it felt like steering the rim in distance. Even after trying for hours and experience with several underhand gadgets now, I could not get rid of the feeling of a loss of connection. 
I also felt that in a frame or hoop, the fabric is not that giving to let the fabric follow the thimble. So I had to bend my finger a bit more. That made the top of the thimble go upwards to much, which causes my needle to touch the top of the thimble and prevented a supple stitch. To me the rim was also a bit to round. A sharp ridge is needed to make a small stitch, and this was a bit too wide.


The Marian's quilting thimble might be great for working with a quilt on your lap, or even for piecing. All in all for me, the Marian's quilting thimble did just not what I hoped it would for hoop or frame quilting. The thimble might work for you though. For $3.48, it's worth giving it a try to experience the thimble. You might be very comfortable with it!


Have fun quilting!
Annemart