Simply Thimbles

Hi there, Ironing has never been one of my favourite pastimes. I know it's something that has to be done but I always put it off. Usually because I've found something better to do. There is a pile of washing waiting for me right now, nicely stacked in the airing cupboard, waiting patiently. It's going to be there a long time, or at least until I run out of other clothes. I'd honestly rather de-ice the freezer than pick up an iron. I'm not alone. I know lots of people who hate ironing and find it a boring chore.  Why is that? Why is it such a chore? Is it because it hurts when you accidentally iron your fingers as well as that tricky hem that just will not lie flat? It never ceases to amaze me that we can fly across the globe, we've even sent man to the moon and yet, after all this time, we are still ironing clothes. These days ironing is easy. With fabric conditioners, modern fabrics and hi-tech modern irons, it really is a breeze compared to wha...

Hi there I found this thimble at a local car boot sale for 50p. It's Inspector Clouseau from The Pink Panther cartoon series. I love the way that thimbles can turn back the years and remind me of things that I didn't even know I had forgotten. One minute I'm walking around a car boot sale on a wet and windy present-day Saturday, the next I'm transported back to the care-free sunny Saturdays of youth, sitting cross-legged on the floor, eyes glued to our first ever colour TV. Well, not literally obviously, it's a thimble not a time machine. Anyway, the slight down-side is that thimbles can highlight the passing of time.  When Eldest and Youngest saw this little guy, they hadn't got a clue who he was.  Watching him on Youtube didn't help much.  They thought it was too slow and didn't really get the humour. They thought it was weird. These days they are into sparkly vampires and Manga. Ah kids. They have this uncanny knack of making you feel... old!...

Hi there Aluminium (aluminum) is a light metal which is workable from cold and although it can corrode, it doesn't go rusty.  The metal has the same drawback as silver though - it is incredibly soft and damages easily. I came across this thimble in a local second hand shop. It was part of a block purchase that I picked up for 50p. This thimble is made from an aluminium mix.  Its 90% aluminium, 4% copper about 1% magnesium and a little bit of manganese. This makes a very hard, durable aluminium alloy called Duralumin.  Duralumin was discovered in 1910 by a German man called Alfred Wilm.  It was first used for aeroplane parts in the first world war, but it didn't take long for other industries to catch on to the benefits of using the stronger alloy.  Stratnoid is a brand name for Laughton & Sons of Birmingham who not only produced millions of these stronger aluminium thimbles between the 1920s - 1940s, but also...

Hi there I received these delightful thimbles in the mail yesterday morning from Ema in Portugal.       Thank you so much, Ema - I think they are lovely! Obrigada tanto, eu acho que eles são lindo :) Bye for now Olly

Hi all I was delighted to open the post this morning to find these lovely thimbles. They are an exchange from Silvia in Spain.  Muchas gracias Silvia, me encantan.  I love them Silvia, thank you so much.  Thank you for the fridge magnet to.  A very nice surprise!  Gracias por el imán de la nevera. Una muy grata sorpresa.     Silvia, yo tambien enviar algunos a usted. Debe conseguirlas pronto. I am sending you some which should be with you soon.   Bye for now   Olly       

Hi there I had a really nice surprise in the post the other day.  Claudia from Argentina sent me some lovely thimbles. Gracias Claudia - creo que son adorables.  (I'm hoping that says Thanks Claudia, they are adorable).  Me encantan los bailarines! (I love the dancers!) Bye for now Olly

Hi all, According to the back of the thimble these two comic characters are Arthur Stanley Jefferson and Oliver Norvell Hardy.  Better known to millions as Laurel and Hardy or even more simply as Stan and Ollie. I have some fond childhood memories of watching re-runs of Laurel and Hardy on the TV with my family.  They had an innocent comical magic that could appeal to all ages. Slapstick at its very best. Oliver is probably the most famous Ollie that I know of and is one of the reasons why I am called Olly.  When I first started school, my friends caught on to the fact that my proper name, Olwen, is very similar to Oliver.  It didn't take long for everyone to start calling me Olly and it stuck. Now there are a few things about Stan and Ollie that I didn't know until I bought this thimble.  The first one is that Stan's surname was Jefferson, Laurel was just his stage name. The second is th...