Thimble & Needles Rule

This is the latest and possibly the last piano key design as finding the old piano keys is getting harder than ever. My old associate (let us call him Dave) has been persuaded to retire at 84 years of age and I was able to buy all his old stock, so I am celebrating with a new design. Ethan (my graphics wizard) drew this design for me and the inches are real! The ruler measurements are exact and the thimble and needles are Ethan’s clever design. I had wanted to make you something like this for a while but hadn’t discovered the right material. I often work with a ‘faux ivory’ but discovered that it can shrink in the making process, which does not make for an accurate ruler. This pretty charm is also practical as the ruler markings will help you count your fabric threads.

I am sure that you know that, in the past, piano keys were covered with fine pieces of ivory which is thankfully now outlawed. I collect old and scruffy piano keys from a variety of sources. I managed to get my hands on a slightly challenging batch recently with chunks of wood and splinters still attached. I discovered that an overnight soak cleaned them up enough for the next stage of their new life. Each key is sanded and has the edges rounded. (It is a team effort, so I Bill tackles this for me while he watches football coverage!)