Innovative Hand Applique, Piecing and Quilting Without Pain with Liuxin Newman

Welcome to visit our hand quilt frames and hand quilting needles, basting needles and sashiko needles.

If you are new to Thimblelady's innovative tools for hand quilting, applique and paperless paper piecing, or decorative hand sewing in general, you might want to know what other quilters' most frequently asked questions and answers below:

About Thimblelady's quilting frame/hoops:

Do I need a frame/hoop to hand quilt?

Not if you quilt the thimblelady way. A quilting frame is not used to prevent "pucker on the back", it is used to stabilize quilt for running or rocking method of quilting which prick under fingers - with a frame or hoop holding the quilt, it is easier to control the quilting needle. You can use Thimblelady's hoop/frame for that purpose. But! If you learned to quilt the Thimblelady way with Thimblelady's hand quilting thimbles (big and deep dimples and you no longer prick your under finger), here is a better option:

Why Thimblelady's hand quilting frames are the best?

Wide and deep bands of the frame hold quilt firm (without popping the quilt or the outer ring off like using a frame with narrow rings). - with wide and deep bands, you do not need to tighten the screw of the outer ring to distort the quilt inbetween the rings. It can keep the quilt very loose in the centre to reduce the stress of quilt on hands and needles (so you don't break needles). 

It is preset to 22degree tilting towards the quilter's body without all the bults and screws to turn and twist every time you turn or tilt a quilt. Totally free of adjustment and must lighter weight too as a result!

It doesn't rest on top of your lap, it sits under your tigh - the natural weight of your legs will balance the frame easily and firmly. This will also leave both the weight of your frame/hoop and the weight of your quilt on your seat instead of in your lap. Sitting on the base of your frame leave both of your hands and arms free saving you all the shoulders and arm pains!

Better still, the smart and simple design took all the unnecessary stuff off the frame. So no constant adjustment needed, light weight and easily foldable to carry around in your car or in your suitcase. 

This frame/hoop is designed by the Thimblelady, a hand quilting maniac who is determined to get rid of all physical pains from hand quilting! Click on the frame/hoop to watch demo video on how it works.  

Why Model 1 and Model 2? Why only 14 inch size rings? Why not larger?

My goal of the frame design is to keep quilters posture right. Model 1 is designed for quilters without much of a belly. Model 2 is designed to bring the frame forward so quilters with a belly will not be made leaning forward to quilt that causes lower back pain over time. Click on the frame/hoop for further information on what model suits you the best. 

I deliberately decided on 14 inch ring size. Why because that is the size safe for most quilters - ring size too large causing hoop tilting away from you. Even if you might be tall with longer arms, you might have your boobs in the way. All these make it safer to use relatively small frame/hoop to avoid neck pains. Why not even smaller? Too small a frame/hoop before less efficient: Move quilt more, and hard to keep quilt loose in a small frame/hoop. When you can hand quilt faster, the last thing you want is have a hoop too small. 14 inch ring size is an efficient size yet safe too.

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About Thimblelady's needles:

Why just Thimblelady needles?

Because Thimblelady can't see the point of stocking needles second best at higher price. What makes Thimblelady's needles best? For fine hand sewing, whether it is hand quilting, needle turn applique or paperless paper piecing or even general hand sewing, the key to better sewing is to make needle point sharp - sew through better; Surface smooth - less resistance on hands; And thinner and longer by ratio to match densities of materials we work on for easy penetration of materials - never poke thick needle through dense fabrics - sore hands + poor results. Longer needle for easy grip by today's normal size of hands.

To achieve the combination of the qualities for best sewing results without pain, I have all Thimblelady needles made in A Grade surgical steel. They are not nickle plated for smoother surface and sharper points, the same as your injection needles in hospitals. The sale of our needles is going straight up since their birth - this is the best testimony of the quality of our needles! But nothing is perfect. With all the unique merits, comes a important demerit: without nickle plating, the needles can rust in wet season. They are all vacumn packaged. Once you opened the package, Make sure you place your Thimblelady needles in a wool needle case or keep them in a little air tight box with a pinch of talcon powder to keep them dry and smooth. 

Why such a small range? How do they differ?

Because that is all you need for all hand sewing! As I discovered, needles have nothing to do with whether you had quilt or hand piece a quilt. Selection of fabrics should match your designs - finer applique with narrower seams require denser and thinner weave materials for less fraying and less bulky seams; Selection of needles should then match the matching materials to your designs. The denser the weave of materials, the thinner the needle and finer threads you should use.

After I examined the fabrics for hand sewing carefully on the market, I realised ONLY three thicknesses of needles are needed for you to hand sew anything! 

My advice? Don't buy more needles, buy better and best needles! Better sewing without pain is the point. 

On top of our 3 sizes of fine sewing needles to cover all your fine sewing, we also have the basting needles for basting and decorative, sashiko, sewing/stitching with big long eyes.

If you have further questions, email Thimblelady. Otherwise, try them.