I just heard the same thing recently. Glad to know it works.

And, YES! Your needle puller from Clotilde is exactly like the one I have and use. It works great!

It may not be the most sanitary-sounding solution, but I was always told that the best way to remove a spot of blood from your quilt is to use a dab of your own saliva -- it always dissolves the blood and removes the stain.

I have used this for years and it works.

Anyone else?

BethMI

"Skin Shield " What a wonderful hint. Thank you a bunch.

For the blood spots -- rinse with some weak salt water (saline) or contact lens solution. Then, if any of the spot is left, put a drop of hydrogen peroxide on the spot (it will bubble). You may have to repeat this a couple of times. This will get out the rest of the blood. I work in a hospital lab and use it all the time to get blood out of my lab coat. Works every time.. I have not found it to lighten colors either.

Have you heard of the needle puller from Holland? I took a class from Ted Storm many years ago and she said everyone in Holland used it. I'd been on the lookout for it ever since and finally found it in one of the catalogs (Clotilde??) I've got my quilting friends hooked on it. Takes a little practice but is wonderful for pulling the needle through. I can get so many more stitches on the needle now that I'm using it.

I keep my tweezers handy for when I sew too many stitches in a row. It saves my sore fingers from pulling the needle through. Sometimes, when going through a seam, the tweezers help pull the needle through, too. I find that sewing one extra stitch sosmetimes keeps my stitching even (which means I now have 'too many stitches in a row'...so, out come the tweezers!)

I purchased New Skin liquid bandage and used it last night for hand quilting (on the fingertips of hand UNDER quilttop.) Works very well!

A strange issue developed, though. My cats LOVED the smell and tried to lick my fingertips before they disappeared under the quilttop.

Yes it works!

I try to plan my quilting design to miss as many seams as possible! But the needles I use (Japanese Clover Patchwork number 9) are quite long and quite strong so I can manage to rock over the seams. I use the Quilters Dream request loft batting and that is an absolute delight to quilt through. Its not easily available here in Australia but I buy it by the case load from Hancocks.
Also I keep the quilt very loose in the hoop so I can manouvre the needle easily through the seams. A finger of a rubber glove on my index finger and on my thumb helps me to pull the needle through.
As far as the finger underneath I have done the Luixin Newman (Thimblelady) class a couple of times and have almost mastered the no prick finger method but I still find I get a callouse after a long session - like now when I am trying to finish 3 quilts for our show in May.
Which reminds me - I had better get back to it!

I heard last week that YOUR OWN SALIVA will break down the blood if you bleed on your quilt.

Anybody else know about this?

I am self taught and when it came time to quilt by hand I tried everything to get the stitches the way I wanted them. I finally found out if I stab stitch I get the work done. I don't have to worry about carpal tunnel and I have a good time. I do sometimes where those rubber finger tips on my thumb and forefinger for those really thick seams. Also, I have the callous thing that peels I just keep on working. I had to cover a blood spot one time that wouldn't come out--I added a hand-painted flower that matched the ones on the front--signed my name near it and it looks like I planned it and the judges didn't know and I got the blue ribbon.
ritzy

I've gotta try that skin sheild stuff. Thanks for the tip!!!!

Thanks for the link to skin shield - I will have a look in my local pharmacy and see if they sell it here in the UK .

Well, being a nurse, I thought this sounded like a 'new fangled bandaid' so looked it up and it is! Here is a link to a picture of it since I can't post a picture here within the post.

http://store.darisimall.com/351635.html

It comes in a bottle and is about $3.50-5.00 per bottle. It brushes on like nail polish. Made by Del Pharmaceuticals.

I'm going to see if I can find it at Walgreens or CVS. It sounds like a great solution. I never dreamed it could be used for this!

Thanks bettyannseeman!!!

Iv'e not come across this product - I wonder if it's available in the UK yet?
does anyone know?

My underside finger used to get so sore. Now I use a product called Skin Shield. It's like a liquid bandage you brush on. I but two or three coats on, allowing for drying in between. I can still feel if the needle has come through to the underside and the little pricks catch in the layers of Skin Shield not in my delicate finger tip. As the area gets roughed up, I just add another layer and let it dry. This does not withstand major pokes so be careful. The layers of Skin Shield will peel off at the end of a quilting session. Betty Ann