AID TO SEWING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23269, 11 February 1939, Page 22

AID TO SEWING

HISTORY OF THIMBLE 17TH CENTURY ORIGIN GIFT TO A FRIEND The history of ordinary everyday articles makes most interesting reading, and even tho humble thimble has quite a "past." The modern thimble dates from 1684, when a goldsmith, Nicholas Renchoteen, of Amsterdam, sent one as a birthday present to a lady friend, with the dedication, "To my jrau Van Rensclaer, this little object, which I have invented and executed as a protective covering for her industrious fingers." The invention proved such a success that all who saw tho thimble tried to obtain one, and tlio goldsmith had enough to do to supply them. An Englishman named John Lotting brought a specimen homo with him, and made many thousand copies of it. At first thimbles were rather costly, and only well-to-do people could afford them, but afterwards, when mado of load and other common metals by machinery, they became very cheap. Their use came as a great relief to all who had much sewing to do.

Tho Dutch finger-hat, or finger-hood, bccaino in England tho "thumb-bell," from its bell-like shape. It was originally worn on the thumb to parry the thrust of the noodle. Somo of tho thimbles of tho Far East are very costly. Wealthy Chinese ladies have thimbles carved out of mother-of-pearl, and sometimes tho top is formed of a single precious stono. Thimbles with an agate or onyx mounted in gold are often seen, as well as thimbles encrusted with rubies.

The Queen of Siam has a thimble in tho form of a lotus bird, with hor name exquisitely worked in tiny diamonds round the margin.