Poke, Poke, Poke...

I'm looking a little bit like a human pincushion these days. I refer to my index and middle fingers on my left hand as "catching fingers". In order for me to finish a proper applique' stitch, I have to be able to literally feel the needle by catching it with my fingertips. I know many of you more experienced quilters are probably shaking your heads and tittering right now, but this is how I've adjusted to making those teeny, tiny, (hopefully) perfect stitches.

I don't draw blood (thank goodness!), but I do scrape up the skin with the tip of the applique' needle. After a short while, the callous I create kinda numbs the tips of my fingers, too so they don't hurt. I know. It sounds completely pathetic, doesn't it?

I have these sticky thingies that I use as a thimble on my right hand...my needle hand. If you haven't seen them before, they're "dots" that are padded or plastic that stick to the skin. They take up less space on my finger than a regular thimble. (I have some gorgeous and useful thimbles, but the thread catches on them and unthreads the needle). sigh. Don't laugh. I'm trying to keep it real here!

I use straw needles to do my applique', and they're long and extremely fine. It's not that they're difficult to thread, but I'd just as soon not have to do it every few stitches, so these flat protectors save me a little time in that regard. Also, those fine needles can pierce the tip of your finger if you try to push it through the fabric without a little "reinforcement". The dots keep me from mangling up my other hand, then, too.

Don't feel sorry for me. I really love applique' but I'm still relatively new to the tips and tricks of accomplishing the technique without sacrificing my hands. It proves I still have more to learn, right?

I'll finish the applique' on this block today...right on schedule. Then, I'll start salving my fingers until the callouses go away again. I'm sure as soon as they're healed, I will have a NEW applique' project in mind and will start the process all over. Or maybe before I start the next one, I'll find out from Flo and Barb and Betty the best ways to protect my delicate fingers. No need to send "get well" cards. I'll be fine. Really.