I have a nice little pile of fusion blocks growing... these still need to be turned out and edged...
I like to use a thimble when hand sewing .... in fact it has become such a habit now I 'think' I can't sew without one.... of course I have my favourite....
I kept it from my Mum's sewing things ... and this one gets used all the time ....
Then I found my finger under the fabric was also getting 'pricked' a bit too often and I don't really go for the blood on the stitchery look...
I used some of those plastic oval shapes... they work but didn't fit well on the curve of the finger... and I like those little leather circle patches but they get unsticky and have to be thrown out (I think I grease up too much because I couldn't use them over and over again like the label says!!)
I found some too tight lovely soft leather gloves in an Op Shop last week for $5 .....
felt sacriligeous but I chopped a finger off....
it is perfect for my 'under' finger... no more finger pricks .... and I have spares... I expect the leather will stretch a little with use and I may need to work out a little 'belt' for it..... any ideas??
I did see this pattern for making a thimble.... but I think a glove finger is easier...
This is a sweet bone china thimble which was given to me by my Sister in Law from England ....
and most recently Linda sent me this one from France ....
... and I won these collectable ones of the Ned Kelly Gang.... they are apparently exact replica's with the 'bullet holes' and nail studs in the actual places..... I have turned Neds around to show the name...
So today the humble thimble is my treasure so I am linking up with Melody's Tuesday Treasures
Do you Thimble or not? I'd love to see yours - or whatever your treasure is today .....
Do you Thimble or not? I'd love to see yours - or whatever your treasure is today .....
Righto Gotto Go... I have got things to do... this little treasure is coming to visit a few days
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The family are moving from Melbourne to Cairns and we are the half way stop
2 days to get here and 2 days to go
This is grandieboy Jack - I am so excited to cuddle him
- and I know you will understand me being quiet in blogland
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The family are moving from Melbourne to Cairns and we are the half way stop
2 days to get here and 2 days to go
This is grandieboy Jack - I am so excited to cuddle him
- and I know you will understand me being quiet in blogland
Bubz...great thimble collection...your little Jack is a cutie...
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely post. How exciting little Jack is coming to visit.
ReplyDeleteLeather thimbles are easy to work with, I use one when sewing down the binding on a quilt. Enjoy your time with Grandie!
ReplyDeleteFiona you have lots of lovely thimbles,love the idea with the gloves,thats very clever,how cute is jack,enjoy your cuddles with him Fiona.xx
ReplyDeleteWould never of thought of the finger from a glove, oh you inventive you, and when you think lether gloves were used to protect the hands in all sorts of activities. The trouble with a thimblecollection is that they grow. Love your French one.
ReplyDeleteLovely thimbles Fiona and I also use a thimble for sewing , took me the longest time to get use to it but now I am lost without it . Jack sure is a cutie and enjoy all those cuddles with him :-) hugs Sheila
ReplyDeleteWonderful thimbles, but I cannot get the hang of one so I just keep pricking my poor fingers, lol. I do have a rubber one, a leather one and I just can't sew if I can't feel my hands. I do use a bandaid but they tend to stick, but good in a pinch when I need to keep sewing and my fingers can't take any more pain.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
I also use a thimble when stitching.... feel a little lost when I stitch without one...... enjo your time with Jack
ReplyDeleteOh go cuddle away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWill show you my thimbles another day. :)
What a great way to make a leather thimble! I used to use one when I hand quilted, but it was one I had bought. Enjoy your visit with little Jack! :0)
ReplyDeleteHello Fiona,
ReplyDeleteThat is certainly a great idea using the glove for the thimble. Can't use them myself so must check out your idea.
Happy times with Jack.
Bev.xoxo
Jack is such a sweet little peanut! Adorable! And those thimbles are lovely! I usually use one when putting on the binding....and when I forget to, my fingers are so sore! I'll have to try that with some old gloves I have for the underside hand.....great idea! And plenty to spare!
ReplyDeleteLove my thimble to bits. I have even worn a hole in one of them! Your Mum's is lovely. Enjoy catching up with your family. Oh, and great idea with the glove.
ReplyDeleteHi Fiona! Now, don't pass out because I am finally back in blogland and getting to read - and comment on - your blog! I LOVE your mom's thimble...it's so beautiful, I can see why you'd want to use it all the time. Great idea about the leather finger from the gloves! Maybe, when the leather stretches, you could sew a little running stitch along the bottom with some really strong thread or fishing line, and then use that to "cinch" the leather tighter on your finger and tie a little bow to hold in place? Anyway...all of your thimbles are beautiful, and so is Jack! I hope you have a wonderful time cuddling him when he visits!
ReplyDeleteChat soon!
XOXO,
Cyndi
I am going to the thrift store tomorrow to look for a glove. What a great idea!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea Fiona...
ReplyDeleteFiona, great new blog header! I do use a thimble. I use a leather one that has a little round dimpled metal insert right in the middle, it's called Coin Thimble of Clover brand. I got so sick of spearing my finger, or just traumatising the skin, and this one is just the ticket. I think your own glove idea is a good one, especially for only a few dollars - maybe you could get around the stretching issue by doing 2 or 3 rows of running stitching around the top to slow that stretching, and then when it's worn out, you have 9 more glove fingers to cut off! Good luck figuring it out...
ReplyDeleteI turned out my squares last night, they need pressing now, and the turning hole stitching.
ReplyDeleteI don't wear a thimble, but at times I should. Trouble is, I've never found one that felt right
The Kelly gang are priceless.
ReplyDeleteLovely reminder of your mum.
Enjoy the family visit.
love your special thimble from your mum's collection.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous pic of baby Jack! My how he has grown. Enjoy your time with them. Does this mean no more visits to Melbourne :(
Oh bet you cant wait to cuddle Jack he is a real cutie. Look after the thimble I sent you, we called for some more yesterday and they didn't have any, and, if I understood her correctly, they aren't getting any more!!! :-( However, we have seen some others in another shop so will be wandering in there to see what they have got. Hugs xx
ReplyDeleteThat's it great collection of thimbles - especially Ned! Love the solution to your problem by using the old glove - smart move.
ReplyDeleteHave a WONDERFUL time with Jack.
Make the most of every minute.
Love your thimbles...cut up leather gloves what a clever idea.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your Grandieson hugs.
Hugs Tanya
Great idea for a leather thimble, can't gt on with them myself, nails too long probably! Enjoy your cuddles with Jack and have a lovely time
ReplyDeleteHey Fiona, I love your blog header! Did you do the quilting?
ReplyDeleteI am collecting thimbles now too with one of my sewing groups here. We bring back thimbles from where ever we have travelled for each other. I will have to try to take photos and post.
Have a lovely time with the family!
xxxx Joy
A lovely collection and a clever idea with the gloves. I love the idea of using a thimble but rarely do it.
ReplyDeleteOh how cute is Jack! I want to give him a cuddle too! It must be really hard living far away from your grandchildren. Me and my parents find it hard being away from my nephew and he's only 3 hours drive away, I can't imagine having to get on a plane to see him.
ReplyDeleteI bought a quilters thimble when I handquilted a quilt, but it was massive and I didn't get on with it. I've just bought a traditional metal thimble and will give that a go. I find my main stabby problem is that I tend to use the side of my finger to push the needle through and it generally goes down the side of my nail. Even typing that is making me feel ill!
My mum has a massive collection, over a thousand I'd guess, of thimbles collected from all over the world.
How wonderful to have yur Mum's thimble to use. I find I cannot use a thimble. I have tried several but just can't stitch with one on.
ReplyDeletegreat collection of thimbles Fiona.
Enjoy HUGE amounts of cuddles with cute little Jack...
I cant sew without a thimble either! Love your Ned Kelly thimbles...Im more excited that your granbaby is coming for a visit...I miss mine and will see them in 3 weeks so understand your excitement!!!!
ReplyDeletehow wonderful to get time and cuddles with your grandbaby ... it is not good that families live so far apart these days ... but i guess it makes time with them so much more precious ... enjoy !!!!
ReplyDeletei love your glove finger thimble idea Fiona .. how clever of you ... and when it stretches maybe you could dampen it ... that makes leather shrink ... and if you pop it on your finger to get shape into it that should help too ... don't get it too wet though as you may never get it back on your finger at all ...
your thimble collection is lovely ... and i especially love your mum's one ... how special is that ...
huge hugs .. bobbie xxx
Very interesting post, your thimble collection is lovely and the glove idea looks great! Wendy xx
ReplyDelete