Who's got the thimble?

How many of you played hide the thimble

as a child?

I did.

We used buttons too,

if we couldn't locate Mom's thimble...

My older sisters

 were always the hiders

 and it was I 

who was always

 the finder...

Typical.

I wanted so badly to be the hider...

{sigh}

It probably has something to do with my obsession

that I have with thimbles

today...

Isn't it funny how our childhood

reflects what we 

like & do

as adults?

 There is just something about these little

ornate, 

or not so ornate,

 dome shaped

pieces of metal,

 with dimples in them

that fascinates me...

I collect all shapes, sizes and various metals...

I currently have a small collection

 of thimbles

 displayed on the frame

of Mary Murgatroyd's sampler.

  I have two samplers stitched by Mary,

 they are some of my personal favorites. 

 They are companion samplers,

 both worked it lots of reds, sage greens and sea foam blues

and both completed in 1842.

This seems to be a safe spot for the thimbles, 

high up

and away from fur paws...

the fur child

  likes to swat them off surfaces

 and

 then roll them across the floor...

I then once again

am thee finder of the thimbles!

See those teeny little thimbles in the front?

Those are child-sized thimbles,

they measure less then a 1/2" tall.

 So tiny & sweet...

 I treasure these.

Up until sometime in the 20th century

most young girls

 were taught to sew by their mothers

or sewing schools,

so there was a large need for small thimbles.

These thimbles were typically made from copper,

 a cheaper alloy,

 as these thimbles

were typically out-grown

 before they wore out. 

 You will usually find children sized thimbles

 in good conditions

 due to the fact

 that they weren't used

 for 

years and years.

The fancier silver thimbles

were usually custom made.

Many of these will have verses

or

 initials

 hand engraved along the bands.

 Shown here are 3 sizes of thimbles,

girls,

maids

& 

women's ...

Look at how these thimbles have aged...

their copper surface 

has become a lovely

green verdigris.

{sigh}

Aren't they lovely?

Even thimbles grow 

old gracefully,

don't your think?

I have worked with my Thimble, and like it extremely.

- M.J. Holroyd, Girlhood, 1793

With thy needle & thread,

Brenda

P.S.
The THIMBLE PURSE, a stitcher's necklace
pattern series
releases June 6th!
Hurry up,
go find your thimbles!