Profile on Jenny Scharff Bockel

Jenny is the founder member of the Thimble Collectors Club of South Africa which she started in 1984 after advertising in the South African Garden & Home magazine where she asked thimble collectors to contact her with a view to forming a club in Johannesburg. The response from around the country was overwhelming, and the Thimble Collectors Club of South Africa was born.

Jenny started collecting thimbles by pure chance. During the early 1980’s printers trays were very fashionable and she had an eclectic assembly of small ornaments. On a visit to the United Kingdom, Jenny purchased a bone china thimble commemorating the birth of Prince William (and really wished it was a plain white blank for her proposed white bone china miniature collection). However, this was just the start and she eventually came home to South Africa after her trip with ten new thimbles. The content of the printer’s tray was binned and a new thimble collector was born!

Jenny’s aunt then gave her a base metal, open topped thimble and she became very keen to find out who Abel Morrall was and why his name was stamped on the band. She also wanted to know why the thimble had an open top. In her quest for information, she contacted the American Embassy in South Africa and asked if they had an address for a thimble club in the USA. After being given the address of TCI, she contacted the club immediately. Through TCI and through early newsletters of the Thimble Guild in Scotland, Jenny found what she calls her greatest treasures – thimble friends from around the world some of whom she has been corresponding with for more than twenty years.

Jenny married Terry Bockel in 2003. They had been friends since he joined the Thimble Club in 1987. Not only did they marry but two thimble collections also became one! Truly a marriage made in heaven as Terry and Jenny are both wonderful, caring people. Jenny & Terry sold their respective homes and bought a larger home to accommodate all their various collections. Terry is also the proud owner of extensive Swarovski and Wedgewood collections. At the time of their marriage, Terry not only collected thimbles, Swarovski and Wedgwood but he also ‘collected’ and rescued many dogs that were in need of love and a good home. As a result, at one time there have been well over 20 geriatric dogs that have lived out their lives peacefully and in luxury in Jenny & Terry’s home. Right now they only have six dogs and at last they are able to travel together which was not always possible due to all the dogs that required attention. Last year, they were able to attend the TCI conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania together for the first time. They had a really great time!

One of the rooms in Jenny & Terry’s home has been converted into a fantastic thimble room with thimble displayed in custom-made framed cabinets with glass shelves and glass doors. All the cabinets can be locked. The room is also home to thimble holders, small pincushions, sewing kits, needle holders and thimble books. This is a really extensive collection containing some really wonderful thimbles that most of us can only dream of. Jenny ranks Sterling and metal thimbles among her favourites but she also appreciates hand-painted thimbles and good quality porcelain and china thimbles. I make a point of looking at Jenny’s collection of sewing items whenever I visit and I still can’t take it all in – it’s really eye candy and this does not even include Terry’s stunning Swarovski collection!

Terry inspired Jenny to write her book, Thimbles of Southern Africa which was launched in February 2005. This is a great book, well researched and well written. It contains everything from sewing tools made by Boer prisoners of war to modern day thimble makers like Gili Davis. The photographs are beautiful and I really recommend this informative book.

To buy this book:

In the USA: Contact Mary Craft on e-mail, mary@thimblecraft.com. Mary can also accept personal US checks or payments via Pay Pal. The books will immediately be posted from the USA upon receipt of payment.

In the United Kingdom. Contact Susan Usher at e-mail shr_ssn@yahoo.co.uk. Susan has Pay Pal facilities. Books will be posted within the UK.

Other countries: Contact Jenny directly at c/o PO Box 74439, Turffontein, 2140, Republic of South Africa or e-mail her jennyb@nhra.co.za or jcbockel at telkomsa.net

In October 2005, Jenny was a guest at the South African Antique Dealer’s Association which was held in Sandton, Johannesburg. It really was a great honour and she was given the opportunity to promote her book. The theme at the fair was “Thimbles and Sewing Tools”. As a result of all the publicity this generated, Jenny was interviewed on radio and came into contact with many new thimble collectors.

Jenny has a wealth of knowledge at her fingertips and is always willing to share her expertise and her photos. A true friend, Jenny will spend hours researching an unusual thimble when asked for information. Jenny really strives to make our thimble club meetings fun and informative. For both new and really serious collectors, Jenny is always happy to host small all day workshops where a few of us come together and really spend the day learning about a particular thimble topic. It’s fun and really interesting, we only stop for pizza at lunchtime and then get right back to business! The thimble world really needs people like Jenny!

At the first South African Thimble Convention in 1990, Dottie Draper of the Southern California Thimble Collectors gave a presentation entitled “Thimbles Build Bridges” and these words have really come to mean a lot to Jenny over the years. Thimble collecting has built many bridges for her both locally and internationally. Jenny not only collects thimbles but friends and when she makes a friend you know that you are her friend for life!

True to their generous nature, Jenny & Terry were instrumental in the recent adoption of The Thokhosa Care for the Aged (pronounced Tok haw sa) by The Thimble Collectors Club of South Africa. This is a group of elderly African people who are trying to be self sufficient and who live in a very, very poor community. The thimble club members have been very generous in donating sewing relating items such as material, thread, pins, needles etc to these needy people. Other items were also donated.

Last year, Jenny was elected as the International Representative for TCI and we look forward to reading her first report in this capacity in the next TCI newsletter.

Finally, I would like to quote Jenny herself ‘My greatest joy comes from being in contact with both local and international thimble collectors, sharing thimble finds and information’.

Before you go, have a look at Jenny’s thimble room. Believe me, these photos do not do the thimble room justice!