attn: hand sewers

It's a big eye quilting needle. Gold and platinum needles glide through fabric more easily than steel - don't ask for all the technical data on molecular structure, just nod wisely lol. You usually find the gold is on the eye end of the needle only.

Richard Hemmings also has a big eye quilting needle I think (?).

I do like John James sharps for my normal hand sewing, but the best needle I have ever used is platinum. Sadly I find platinum quilting needles just too short for applique, and they don't make platinum sharps (or I haven't found any yet). Platinum just slides through fabrics SOOOOOO easily.

It is available in applique and quilting. There is a new coating on the needle that makes it slide through the fabric. I purchased both types and really like the feel.

Only the quilting needle has a big eye, at least that was available at my LQS. The applique needle has a normal size eye and that glides just as well.

Howdy!

Some of the Golden Glide needles are big eye:

some are not: Here's equilter's blurb on the product: These high-quality needles will make quilting through multiple layers a pleasure! An 18k gold plated eye and the Easy-Glide coating make threading a breeze, and stitching through multiple layers fast and easy with less strain on hands.

~~~~ mmmm: new products for handquilt> It's a big eye quilting needle. Gold and platinum needles

*Snipping*

: :

And a word from Dr. Esther. Unless you think it might do you grave bodily harm, try taking vitamin D for your stiffer and stiffer fingers. My own sweet little doctor - who appears to be about 12 years old - suggested the vitamin D to me when I was moaning about my right thumb being such a pain. The only thing that ever eased it for about 20 years was holding a mug of hot coffee. Of course YMMV but it's surely worth a try. It didn't make me smart or tall but it did fix that thumb. Polly

Hi Polly, Sorry to say, but I already take vitamin D supplements twice daily :-(. Fish oil has been helping my knees, but doesn't seem to help my hands. I agree that holding a cup of coffee or a cup to tea eases the ache but the heat starts up the itching that goes along with the liver ailments. It's just a toss up which way to go.

Well, good grief, Bonnie. Let's see. I think the newspaper's Dr. Gott suggests rubbing with castor oil. That stuff stinks and wouldn't be great on quilt fabric; maybe sometime when you weren't quilting? Polly

You could try emu oil. Those who use it swear by it. I have shown a link here in OZ and also a couple for overseas. I used it on my elbow after an injury and it was great.

NAYY

I like the hot mug of coffe idea. Also use gloves almost all year 'round when driving. Isotoner unlined feel the best. Sometimes the crocheting I do helps.

Also, I make up my own horse liniment to use on aching joints - mine and the horses' ;)) Willing to try the vitamin D route, Dr. Esther.

G> Hi Polly,

In my Nov-Dec AARP magazine there was an article called "shelf Life - Common household seasonings do double duty as health boosters"

#1 on the list is ginger

"Twice-a-day doses of ginger extract relived osteoarthritis pain in two thirds of patients in a University of Miami study. Like many pain pills, ginger blocks the enzyme that triggers joint inflammation, explains Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. author of Pain Free 1-2-3 (McGraw-Hill, 2006). His advice: chew a slice of candied ginger or brew tea by chopping a half-inch piece of the root per cup.

This spice may even stymie ovarian cancer. In a University of MIchigan study, tumor cells mixed with ginger in lab dishes died."

I have osteoarthritis which is treated with Tylenol, for all the good it does. I have been drinking 1 cup of ginger tea a day along with a piece of candied ginger I get in bulk at my grocery (Publix).

Perhaps this could work for you.

I've finally gotten some relief from my arthritis (I'm only 53!).=20

I was taking just a combination of vitamin D, Glucosamine and Chondroitin, & fish oil...which did help...but my doctor also suggested taking Alieve (every day) and that's what really made the difference.

I have arthritis in my right hip and knee, and Heberden's nodes in my fingers. My fingers in particular would feel as though the joints were on fire.

At least now I can walk without pain, and sew and quilt!

-Irene

-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.=20

--Mae West=20

--------------

I have seen Emu oil in a store - next time I'll pick some up. Of course, by the time I find it I might have to come back here to find out why I was looking for it in the first place ;-).

That sounds like an easy thing to try - I'll add ginger to my shopping list.

Well emu oil is good for many things so it will not be a waste at least lol

There is a nice article in the Fall 2006 NQA magazine titled "Adapting to Limitations" She writes about how she manages to hand quilt with osteoarthritis and MS.

She said at first she liked the stitcher gloves (I got mine at JoAnns) then later added a hand brace but that was too hard to work with. She's recently moved to "Thermoskin Support Gloves" she said they are support gloves without fingertips and a thermal lining. They are made for people with arthritis. She said she can hand stitch and hand quilt while wearing them.

Might be worth a try. If a hot mug helps loosen things up, perhaps a glove like this will keep things warmer and thus more flexible.

- I found a picture of the glove in the "arthritis" section. The author said they are available at medical supply stores.

She also said she has better success with a longer needle, so playing with needle size might make a difference for you too.

marcella

Howdy!

Ginger?!

Ah-Ha! Lebkuchen! Gingerbread! Gingersnaps! YUM!! And Ginger, any time you want to come visit, we can quilt or add to your stash; will do my hands a lot of good!

Ragm> In my Nov-Dec AARP magazine there was an article called "shelf Life - Common