Sewing Machine Museum | Albrecht Mey | Thimble Collection

Thimble Collection

Around 800 thimbles, including genuine rarities made of ivory, porcelain, enamel or even silver, can now be admired in our Sewing Machine Museum. As well as serving to protect the fingertips, these items are also fascinating as campaign tools, advertising media or personal mementos – in shapes and materials ranging from wood to mother-of-pearl. Sewing boxes, wool holders, cases and needle cases complete the collection.

Newspaper article on the expansion of the exhibition by Ursula Müller-Wiese | mey®

Our sewing machine museum is expanding

The sewing equipment collection of Ursula Müller-Wiese from Reutlingen – the only one of its kind in Germany – will be permanently incorporated into the exhibition. The combination of the two collections offers a multifaceted insight into the history and culture of textile craftsmanship – from industrial manufacturing techniques to intricate handiwork.

This collection now adds the world of fine handiwork to the exhibition. Over a period of 45 years, she has devoted herself to collecting curiosities and everyday objects related to sewing: tiny spools of thread, artistically engraved thimbles, measuring tapes featuring advertisements from the 1950s, folding scissors in delicate cases, and handmade pin cushions in countless variations.

„These objects tell the story of a way of life that has almost been forgotten today – and of craftsmanship that is being rediscovered. I am delighted that my collection has now found a new home where it will be seen, understood and appreciated.“

Ursula Müller-Wiese

A stroke of luck for our sewing machine museum

‘This expansion is a stroke of luck for our museum,’ says Martin Mey, son of the museum’s founder, who has taken over the running of the museum from his father. ‘It allows us to explore the theme of sewing from a holistic perspective – not just as a technical achievement, but also as a cultural one.’

The exhibition is curated in a museum style and combines the technological history of sewing with the cultural aspects of handicraft – a successful interplay of industry, people and machines.