The things we collect...

Thank you so much to each and every one of you who left comments about collecting things as quilters. It's good to be able to share these 'issues' with folks who truly understand. It was fun to hear about the different things you all find fabulous enough to acquire. These items included:

cat fabric

machines

pin cushions

quilting books

spools

thread

thimbles

vintage notions

My friends in my bee group met Friday and we enjoyed a morning of stitching and sharing and eating and generally having fun. I laughed so hard at one point I thought I had pulled a muscle. These are the kind of people I need in my life! Each one of them is very special but my friend Anne is a collector too. Only she is more of a 'professional' collector than most of us.

(My cute friend Anne with her thimble necklace!)

Anne used to be an antique dealer and had lots of access to different sewing notions and supplies during her 'dealing' years. She decided to focus on thimbles. Let me tell you that Anne has a thimble collection that is worthy of some serious envy. She lost count at about 1,200 thimbles. But she thinks it's in that ballpark. Seriously. She knows the history and date and origin of all of her thimbles. She is a wealth of thimble knowledge!

She has her thimbles divided into categories such as children's, porcelain, silver, gold, made in England, made in France, etc. She can point out the most fascinating details about each one of them.

She happily pulls them out and shares their stories with anyone interested, and I was VERY interested!

Her very first thimble with sweet birds on it.

A fancy french thimble with scalloped lace edge.

                                                                          

And she doesn't lack nifty displays either.

She has them on ledges...

She has them on shelves and in boxes.

 She even has them going up the stairs!

Henry the 8th and his wives are together forever with a few other historical figures.

Just ask, she can tell you anything you might want to know.

This was the center piece for our lunch table. The needle cases and nanny pins were in fabulous condition, with needles and thread still inside! One gold thimble had been cut in half to make earrings. Anne felt it was a waste of a beautiful thimble but she still enjoys it.

She has an entire case dedicated to her vintage sewing notions as well. These pieces are so fun and unique. It is heart warming to see how treasured they are after all the years since they were last used.

Vintage needle packages in a display case.

And tiny wooden bobbins in a tiny wooden drawer!

This only scratches the surface. She has so many more and each of them and their stories are special. Just like Anne, she's really special, and I'm so lucky to call her my friend!

Enjoy every thimble!

Diane