Reet Ilves’s Thimble Exhibition: “A Thimble – A Seamstress’s Shield”

Reet Ilves’s collection contains more than 200 thimbles. This exhibition displays 170 of them—a number with special meaning. As a former resident of Tori Parish, Reet Ilves, who lives in Võrumaa, wanted her collection to pay tribute to the 170th anniversary of the Tori Horse Breeding Farm. Her brother was involved in equestrian sports throughout his life and worked as an equestrian coach. In honour of the anniversary, 170 thimbles arrived at Seljametsa Museum.

Her collecting began in 1976, when she was studying tailoring. At the Tamula sewing atelier, she qualified as a men’s outerwear tailor. Strong materials were used there, and sewing them without a thimble was almost impossible.

One thimble in the collection is especially unusual: its tip has been sawn off. It was Reet’s first practice thimble. During training, she had to get used to sewing with the side of the thimble rather than pushing the needle with its tip. The tip was sawn off so that learners would have to use the side of the thimble when sewing.

Thimbles were not merely tools for a tailor. They were everyday helpers that had to withstand countless stitches. This can still be seen on some old thimbles. Held up to the light, they reveal tiny holes and signs of wear. These are the result of years of work: the back of the needle pressed against the thimble again and again until the metal wore through. When a thimble could no longer do its job, another had to be put to use.

Thimbles are small things that may go unnoticed in everyday life today, but for a seamstress they served as a kind of shield, protecting fingers from needle pricks.