Since childhood, Becca has collected souvenir thimbles during family travels,  or was gifted them from family members. There are 54 in total, each with their own personality and unique features. As she began to embrace embroidery art as her specialty, Becca was inspired to take the collection out of storage and display them in her studio in the same way they were displayed in her childhood bedroom, believing these little souvenirs could act as good luck charms for her practice.

Periodically, she would take one out, hold it close to study it, and become ever more curious about them, asking herself “why thimbles?”

Why were thimbles made into souvenir items? Why were thimbles the “souvenir collectible of choice” for young Becca, someone who didn’t even begin fiber arts until adulthood?  What do our childhood collections do to shape our adult identities?

Each thimble portrait measures 7 inches in diameter with cotton as the grounding fabric. Single strands of cotton embroidery thread are hand-stitched with short and long strokes, carefully placed in order to embrace the shapes, contours, and highlights of each thimble. Each study takes between 40-60 hours to complete. They are framed in custom-made protective frames made by hand by an American artisan.

Currently Becca has 12 studies planned, and a sampling of finished works are pictured in the slideshow above.