Poke-A-Dots Sticky Thimbles

I bought leather dots the first time and they are good, but these silicon dots are BETTER! I do a lot of hand finish work on my quilts and also hand sew clothing as well as needle embroidery. What I like about the silicon dots is they stay on your finger for hours and hours and don't slip. The grip glue that's used is very good. And if you replace the dot back onto the paper it comes on, you can use the dot over and over. So far I've used one dot for 10 days of sewing and I start at 9AM and finish my day at 5PM. The dots are tough enough to stand up to a heavy needle being pushed through layers of fabric and batting. They also help with pulling the needle through as the silicon is very grippy which makes it easier to pull the needle on through the layers. Helps me to eliminate wearing those silicon finger guards. I have an extra issue with not having finger prints (side effect of chemo), therefore I have problems with anything with a slick surface and metal needles are slick, I can't grip them very well and get purchase so the silicon dots really help me. I actually have started to use them for other tasks too because I can get grip on things with a slick surface.

I love these! I was working on a colorwork project on small needles and ended up bruising my finger from pushing the needle down so much (bad habit I know). I tried leather and metal thimble and both my fingers too hot. Pros: - great cushion/thickness - small enough to not be a nuisance while knitting - great adhesive (for a while) - can reuse multiple times - don't irritate my skin - super easy to use and take off Cons: - couldn't make it through the whole project (a two sided cowl) with just one. The adhesive wore off. I wonder if washing it would help bring some of it back, but I didn't try and just got out a new one.

These little thimble dots are the best thimbles I have found, and, believe me, I have tried everything that has ever been invented in a thimble! I have never been able to use a traditional thimble, so I am always on the hunt for one that I can easily and effectively use. Most thimbles are too uncomfortable and cumbersome, or just too much of a nuisance to use. These are thick, but they are also soft and comform to the shape of the end of my finger. This thimble stays right where I put it, whereas every other stick-on thimble I have used tends to slip out of place and require constant repositioning. I hardly know this one is there, but I do know it is doing its job because my finger is not getting pricked by the end of the needle. That being said, it is possible to push so hard on a needle enough times that you can poke a hold in these little red dot thimbles. However, if I need to do that kind of sewing, I think another thimble would be more appropriate. This one is perfect for needle turn applique, quilt binding, and other types of sewing that does not use super-thick and heavy fabric. One thing I appreciate about this thimble is that when I remove it, my finger is not at all sticky. I think I found my new favorite thimble. The only reason I don't give it five stars is that I think these little dots are overpriced.

These Poke‑A‑Dots Sticky Thimble thimbles stick very well and work fine for light sewing. They stay in place, don’t slip, and are comfortable to wear, which is important if traditional thimbles aren’t tolerable. The downside is when pushing a needle through multiple layers or doing EPP. When force is needed, the needle tends to embed in the silicone rather than slide off. I constantly have to pull the needle tip back out of the thimble, which interrupts the workflow and gets annoying fast. They’re fine for light tasks, but not ideal for heavier hand sewing where more pressure is required.

These are not a replacement for a thimble for me when I quilt as I use 2 metal thimbles on my main quilting hand on top of the quilt, but they go on the tip of the finger that is underneath the quilt feeling for the needle to come through the quilt sandwich. I can no longer use my bare fingers for this as my skin has gotten older and thinner and I bleed more readily. Everything else I've tried over the years blunts my ability to detect the needle and effectively push the needle tip back up toward the quilt top to add each small stitch to the quilting needle. These little silicone dots transmit the sensation of the needle as it emerges and the ridge on the edge of the dot redirects the needle perfectly for me. Previously my fingernail did that job. They do get shredded pretty quickly, but then so did my finger. Better the silicone dot should shred than my ever more sensitive skin! It is true that you have to experiment to find the exact right placement for your own needs and the dots are a bit thick, but if they were thinner, the needle would make it through to the skin very quickly. It only took one day for me to get used to wearing these dots after many, many years of hand quilting with nothing to protect that underneath hand. I cannot speak to their ability to push a needle loaded with several stitches through a quilt. I think only metal could be strong enough for that and I wouldn't be able to trust silicone to hold up to that much stress from very small needles. For pushing needles through fabric while doing regular sewing, embroidery and/or cross stitch, I think they would likely work fine. Pushing a needle fully loaded with 6-7 stitches through a quilt sandwich is another job entirely. I'm ordering a second tin of these to be sure I don't run out and because I find them useful for sewing tasks other than quilting that take place in other rooms in my house. I am even thinking of trying them for sock knitting. I could wish there were more dots inside the tins. It seems like packaging overkill and possibly the price could be reduced if the tin concept was abandoned, but as another reviewer mentioned, the tins can be repurposed. It does seem like a lot to pay for a little silicone and adhesive, but THEY WORK so I'm willing to pay the asking price without grumbling...too much.