Did you know it was a special day today? Well, besides being Slow Sunday Stitching, and my baby sister's 46th birthday, today is also National Pins and Needles day!
Some of the larger needles were wrapped in soft cloth and tied with string. I guess that was a way of keeping a treasured needle safe and sound if you didn't have a needle book to keep it in?
Any speaking of which, just look at these fascinating needle books!
I spent a long time looking at these needles and wondering who had used them in the past. I am particularly fascinated by the "Lady Gay" book at the top where she is carrying a needle as if it were a gun, and the military figures are lined up behind her, some with red flags and some with white! And look at the book with the native chief with bright red lipstick! Both of these needle books must have interesting stories, but how can I find out about them?
And just look at these topless thimbles!
Have you ever seen these before? What would you use these for?
So many interesting finds and no background history to go with them. If you have any information about these types of needles or thimbles, please share it in the comment section.
Do you have interesting hand stitching needles that you use or collect? Link up your blog post below and tell us all about it!
An InLinkz Link-up
22 comments:
What an interesting collection here,especially the topless thimbles...perhaps there was some method of quilting or sewing things where the needle was to hit the side of the thimble? NO clue! :)
You always find such interesting things to blog about...I had never heard of pins and needles day! I have a book of needles from my mother's sewing box. Most of the needles are bigger than I usually use but they are handy when I need to use a thicker thread and need a needle with a big eye.
Interesting needle books. I bet they have fascinating history. My first start on anything is Google these days. Hope you have some time to play with your small needle today.
The topless thimble is known as a Tailor's thimble and often was worn on the thumb. The longest needle looks like a milliner's needle, here is a great site for needle sizes https://www.jjneedles.com/needles-guide
I like old sewing stuff! My daughter brings me lots of things she gets for little or nothing at garage sales and I have no idea what some of the things are but enjoy thinking about the people who used the items.
neat needles and thimble. How do they come up with all these days I wonder - I have never heard of national needle day!
Interesting and neat finds
I love those old needlbooks. I actually have the green one, but mine is quite beat up. It belonged to my grandmother.
I enjoyed your post and all the links. THANKS again for hosting our Sunday linky.
Old sewing stuff is fascinating, and your friend certainly hit the mother lode! I wrote about the contents of my grandmother's sewing kit in a post back in 2012; see the link in my post today, which is in your link-up. (What a crazy circle that makes!)Thanks for the weekly link party! I've met several new bloggers through you. :)
Those topless Tailor's thimbles are my favorite thimble. Years ago, I purchased a container of miscellaneous thimbles on ebay and 4 of these wonderful thimbles were included. I love how the open top allows the thimble to slip down around the middle finger on my stitching hand.
A work colleague gave me her mothers old sewing bits and pieces because she knew I loved sewing. It was a real joy to go through the threads, thimbles and needles (including several old needle books). Hope you enjoy national pins and needles day!
I have a couple of those topless thimbles. Glad to know what they are for.
Happy N&P Day.
Wow - Well Happy NP&N Day to you too!!! Love the needle books - fascinating! I could never use a thimble like that but I suppose quilters who use the side of their fingers would find it useful?
I had no idea there was a pins and needles day! What a great bit of history with your needles and thimbles!
Seriously--National Pins and Needles Day?!? Who thinks up these things?
I love the vintage needle packages. Those are some I have never seen.
And those are some serious needles your friend bought! Maybe they are for sewing up a horse, or something. : )
Oh, how I wish I'd known about National Pins and Needles Day a week ago. I would have taken photos and prepared a blog post. I have some old needle books, boxes of pins, and other interesting "old" for a great post. Maybe next year. (I wonder how many of us who love fabrics and quilts also collect old pins, needles, needle books, etc.) I'm sorry I don't know anything about the needle books, needles, or thimbles in this post.
So I just googled "Pins and Needles Day" and found information at https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/pins-and-needles-day/. It originally had to do with a pro-Labor Broadway play. Interesting. But, of course, we who sew and quilt can just as easily see it the other way.
Interesting items. I especially like old needle books. Such whimsical pieces of sewing ephemera.
1. My thimble is open on the top for my finger nail. It is Roxanne Brand so it curves up on one side a bit more than these.
2. The thimbles you show are for people who quilt using the side of their fingers. (In a class that I took on hand quilting, the teacher only used the side of her finger.)
The middle needle, looks like a Chenille Needle, used for a type of embroidery?
I used to darn ALL the family's socks. I would hate to throw away a sock that I'd put so much work into so... I'd darn it again and again. Funny, right? And those darning needles had a blunted point so it'd be easier to weave through the darning threads.
Aren't needlebooks wonderful! Little pieces of history that tell us about the products that people used and how businesses advertised to women!
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