Thimble Thimble...

Who has the thimble? Hopefully you do if you are a crafter and seamstress!

I will be spending the day today catching up on a bit of mending. I have been putting it off and I don't know why really, it's such a quick and simple chore and not one that I mind so much. I'm sure I will feel that I've accomplished something by day's end. What will you be up to? Will you be in your sewing room as well?

If you sew and use a thimble try this tip...wet your finger before placing the thimble on it. This creates a suction and holds the thimble in place!

Don't know what a thimble is? It is a cap that fits over the finger to protect it while pushing a needle during sewing. The word, derived from Middle English, literally means “thumb shield.”

The thimble has a long history. The oldest existing thimble is Roman, found in the ruins of Pompeii and is lovely and bronze. Primitive thimbles of bone and leather also existed and thimbles have been used by every known culture.

Early thimbles had to be sturdy because homespun fabric was coarse and needles were rough and unfinished. It was difficult to push the thread through the fabric so a strong, thick bronze or iron thimble, called a “skep,” was required to prevent injury. Each thimble was shaped individually by pounding metal into a mold.

In Victorian times, a silver thimble was regarded as a highly appropriate gift, especially for a man to give a woman. Victorian women carried a chain-like device called a chatelaine, to which sewing items such as small scissors and a needle case could be attached. Thimbles were enclosed in a decorative thimble case that could be attached to this device as well. Sometimes the couple would remove the cap from a thimble so it could be used as a ring.

I would bet you didn't realize that a couple of unusual uses for thimbles involved 19th century prostitutes using them to tap on their client's windows and Victorian school mistresses using them to knock recalcitrant students on the head.

If you sew and don't have this wonderful little device, try one on for size and style. Thimbles are made from a variety of materials, such as leather, glass, metal or rubber. They are most effective when fitted properly to your finger. Place the thimble on your middle finger and hang your hand in the air with your fingers pointed down. The thimble should not fall off; however, if it is squeezing your finger, it's too tight.

To use:
Push a needle through the fabric. The original and primary use for a thimble is to assist the needle as it threads through fabric. Sewing machines often take care of this chore now, but thimbles are still quite useful when sewing by hand. Press gently with your thimble covered finger to encourage the needle through the fabric. This is especially helpful when pushing needles through leather.

Grip your needle between the thimble and thumb. In addition to pushing through fabric, thimbles are often used to grip the needle when pulling thread. Rubber thimbles often have grooves on the top to assist with gripping. After using the thimble to place pressure on the needle, flip to the other side of the fabric and grasp the needle between the thimble covered finger and thumb. Pull the thread all the way through.

Do as the Victorians did. After a long day in front of the sewing machine, pour yourself a few thimblefuls of alcohol to relax. In the 19th century, the phrase "just a thimbleful" became popular as people began to measure their intake of spirits by the thimble. When your sewing is done and you've had a thimbleful to drink, place your lovely little item on parade as a valuable collector's item.