When we met the folx from Colonial Needle Company earlier this year, we were thoroughly impressed by the vast array of tools and notions they carried. Looking around their booth we saw they had just about everything any stitching enthusiast might want—needles of all types for every project imaginable, glue, thread, hoops, and so much more for making all the things.
However, there was one item we used in our day-to-day stitching that was missing: a palm thimble. The unassuming palm thimble was one of those items we both grew up knowing nothing about. It wasn’t until we began our journey into sashiko and boro that we discovered and fell in love with this underrated and often overlooked tool. Its usefulness in hand quilting, sashiko, boro,embroidery, and visible mending cannot be overstated; it’s a simple tool that produces remarkable results.
When the day came that Colonial Needle informed us they would be releasing a palm thimble at Fall Quilt Market, we asked them to send us a couple to try out. We were not disappointed. We put the new tool through rigorous testing including hand quilting on two quilts, sashiko stitching, kogin stitching, embroidering, and repairing torn jeans. The ring fits snugly on our fingers and allows us to grip fabric and maneuver needles with ease. Because the thimble plate rests in the palm of the hand, it allows us to apply greater pressure when pushing through multiple layers of fabric at once.
Oh yeah…and the adjustable part of the ring doesn’t dig into our fingers which allows us to keep stitching well past the end of the film we may or may not have just missed the ending of.
If, like us, you are are unfamiliar with the palm thimble, we recommend picking one up and giving it a try. To further incentivize you, we’re providing a free sashiko pattern for you to practice with, available here. Watch the associated video and use the John James Long Darner Needles that we use for all of our sashiko!
Remember, like any tool, it will take some practice to master the palm thimble, but once you do, you’ll find yourself reaching for it every time you pick up a needle!
STITCH ON!!
Shannon and Jason