Presenter: Patty Heringer       Thimbles have been around for longer than you might think, and they have been used to protect fingers from more than embroidering, from heart surgery to husking corn. They have been made of a variety of materials. Many thimbles are designed to be miniature works of art, rather than as sewing tools. Some of these elaborate thimbles were designed with equally fine thimble cases. Advertisers often applied trade names to what was once an item…