Thimbles

These are some of the things I am learning to work with for when it comes time to hand piece my quilt. To the left are the pins that are made from piano wire. Very very thin. So thin that they do not leave a hole behind when removed from the fabric. I will leave that to another posting.

The green thread is Aurifil from Italy which is supposed to be a superior thread for hand quilting. It is very smooth. No twisting at all. A little pricey, but how much does it take? Jody, would you like me to send you some?

What you can't see and will be for a future posting is the sewing needle which is a "Black Gold Needle made by the Clover Company of Japan. It's a size 10, about 1 & 1/4 inch long which is very short for me. Very very thin, ultra smooth - "specially polished with black plating", the label says. I like them. Unfortunately, we no longer carry them at the store. I am going to have to see if we can re-stock them. Sometimes I can get our lovely Georgia who purchases these things, to re-order discontinued items, especially if I intend to sell them up to customers.

Then there are the thimbles. These are only four of the many I have tried. There are rubber ones, and plastic ones and the shapes of metal ones are limitless. Upper right is a leather one used in the Japanese Sashiko embroidery. Lower left is my newest. Each one, truthfully is a struggle.

So here I am tonight, once again practicing and re-reading the book, when, looking at the picture, I realize she is wearing the thimble on the third finger, not the ring finger. So, here I go again, re-learning. It was never comfortable on my ring finger. Maybe it will be better on my third finger.

The intrigue of being a student. I washed my kitchen floor, cooked some fish in a rich miso broth and fresh herbs; and now I sit. It is three in the morning and I have a good two hours to work on this.

So peaceful.