Do Not Try This At Home
The deadline was approaching. The annual Costume College was the next weekend, and I was desperately trying to finish my costume for the Gala. You know the panic.
I had a narrow ¼” seam allowance with several fat layers of fabric under my presser foot to stitch on the bias for finishing. Go! Go! Go!
Then, in the living room, my husband hears: “Oh my gosh! I hope I don’t pass out.” (Yeah, I actually said that.) He throws his book down and comes running into the sewing room. “What?! What is it?”
He sees me sitting on the floor in front of my desk where my machine is and I have my right hand elevated. “What happened? Do you need to go to the emergency room?”
“I don’t know. I just sewed my needle into my finger. And it went all the way through!”
OUCH!
Because I was sewing quickly and using a tiny seam allowance, AND my fingers were just TOO close to the foot, my hand slipped into the needle’s path as I was trying to push the fabric under the foot. I’ve done the process lots but this time my finger got in the way.
I released the foot pedal as soon as the needle went in. But of course the machine wasn’t powerful enough to keep stitching my finger – Thank God!
I had to stop and assess the situation.
My right ring finger was stuck in my machine with the needle in it so I couldn’t very easily move. So I stretched across with my left hand to turn the fly wheel to release the needle. I had indeed put the needle clear through my finger. Yeah. Fortunately it missed all the blood capillaries and the bone as it was sore but not bleeding or stinging.
What an experience!
You wouldn’t think that sewing can be that dangerous, but don’t underestimate working with sharp objects! Pins, scissors, rotary blades, buttonhole cutters, needles, seam rippers, tin snips, etc., etc. The sewing room is filled with pointed items just waiting to take revenge out on you.
I’ve also nearly lost an eye by hitting a metal bone in a bodice when the needle broke and the end flew up to my face. The second time it happened, the needle was a large size and I only managed to bend it into a fish hook.
The sewing room is a wild place. Caution must be exercised!
- Keep cutting implements in the center of tables and not teetering on the edge.
- Have a magnet handy when you spill pins on the floor
- Clean up your main work area after a sewing session (you don’t have to put it all away (who does anyways?) but at least put your tools up)
- Store your hand needles in a case or corkboard
- Leave machine needles in their packaging until needed
- Pay attention when machine sewing with a tiny seam allowance
- Be extra careful when sewing around metal bones
- Above all: slow down!
Do you have a cautionary tale of a sewing room medical disaster or injury?
When sewing corsets I always wear safety glasses, my husband bought them for me after I broke a needle and it flew right past my left eye and cut me.
I’ve never hurt myself seriously, just a few pin stabs on occasion. But because I know it’s a very real possibility, I require my sewing students to sign a contract promising that they won’t sue me if they hurt themselves while sewing in my class. I also keep a small first aid kit in the sewing room, just as a precaution.
I would like to support the comments about keeping your kitties safe. One of my cats liked to chew on ribbons, cords, thread, anything of that nature. One time I left a pin cushion out and he swallowed a length of thread with a needle attached. Nearly gave us heart failure. Fortunately, the needle got stuck in his throat, so the vet was able to remove it without surgery, but it was a very dangerous situation. (You can read the whole story at my blog: http://yesterdaysthimble.com/sewing-kitties%E2%80%94a-cautionary-tale/) Now my sewing room is off-limits to all our cats. They wait outside the door for me, but they cannot go inside. There’s just too many temptations for them!
Oh yes…the battle scars of the sewing room! I know thee well! When I used to quilt I had the old rotary cutter, mat, and guide….One day I was merrily cutting along when the blade of the rotary cutter jumped the guide and took the corner tip of my left index finger clean off!! That included a large chunk of my finger nail and the nerve endings of several very grouchy nerve endings!! The pain was horrid! After getting it taken care of by my then Fireman Daddy along with one lovely Vicodin, I went to the fabric store and purchased a new cutting guide with a guard! Never happened again!!! Like Jennifer cautions….I now slow down!!!
I’ve broken a fair few needles – mostly through ineptitude and inexperience with my borrowed sewing machine (for ‘borrowed’ read ‘liberated from my mother who can’t even thread the needle properly’), and I’ve stabbed myself with hand needles a LOT when embroidering.
I echo the comment about cats though. My cat isn’t allowed near my sewing box because it has a beautiful embroidered top and he keeps clawing it, but somehow he keeps getting things he shouldn’t. He’s a bit of a kleptomaniac as I keep finding him with things he shouldn’t have – he’s taken several pairs of balled up socks into his bed, he took my partners car key and buried it in his bed (we think he was chewing the leather keyring as he’s 5 months old and teething) and I keep having to shake out his blanket to retrieve various stolen items. I swear he’s responsible for the lost dinner fork from my cutlery set…
I opened my sewing box last night to a suspiciously empty pincushion and am now very concerned as to the whereabouts of the 6 or 7 hand needles I KNOW were in there last…
I joke with people about all my sewing “battle” scars. Slipped while cutting some plastic boning one night rushing through a project and managed to take off half of my knuckle on my left index finger. Only a little flap at the bottom was holding it on. I was really upset, not because I cut myself, but because I thought I had bled on my project. Then I was upset because I thought I might have to go and have stitches. I’m a seamstress that hates needles, go figure. Managed to get the skin flap to fit back in and used the Band-Aid brand blister fingers wraps. I tell you those things are great. Never even went to the emergency room and I finally got feeling back in the knuckle years later, well sorta. Also stitched myself to a project with my treadle, but never my electric. I’ve managed to stick so many pins in different body parts it’s not even funny. Hate the ones you step on and they go right into the bottom center of your foot, had to use a pair of pliers to get one out one time . Ah, the joys of sewing. Well earned “battle” scars I say!
Battle scars indeed! I think all seamstresses eventually get used to the poking & prodding of our pins and needles. 🙂
Ooh…I forgot about irons…
Anyone ever gotten burned by one of those Clover mini irons? Oh, sorry, I mean to call it by it’s proper name–Demon Iron. I wasn’t paying attention and accidentally touched the metal rod that you screw the iron head attachments to. It was on the medium setting and it gave the pad of my index finger a nasty second degree burn that took almost six weeks for it to fully heal–imagine if it were on high!
I pulled an Iron onto my face when I was little ‘helping’ my mom. Thankfully no really bad damage.
My worst injury was with a pair of scissors. I was dealing with leather and rushing. After fighting with a thick piece I finally managed to cut through. It took me a moment to realize that I had also cut my finger, the joint closest to the palm, all the way to the bone. Funny enough, I had to keep my mother calm because she was panicking. Now, I am utterly careful with using scissors on thick bundles of fabric and leather.
When I was 2 or 3 I punched a hole in my leg with my mothers shears. No it’s a rather impressive scar. I was really lucky it didn’t hit anything.
You forgot the iron. I’ve burned my self a few times. Usually when ironing small pieces. My Littler girl has also tried to pull it on the her head before. She is only 15 mounts old. I have had to restrict my ironing to the kitchen behind a safety gate or when she is not around.
Yes, the iron needs to be included. I’ve burned myself more times than I can count both in accidentally touching the hot plate or steam burns.
oof! I did woodworking before sewing, so i always have pushing sticks- pretty sure it’s saved my hand a few times. I also have good safety goggles by the sewing machine if i’m sewing near solid things (eyelets, bones) or through thick fabric. I’ve had several tips ping off the glasses.
I actually burned myself several times with my iron. I tend to scare my hubby alot when I sew.
And I now wear reading glasses just in case my needles snap.
I need something to stop me burning my fingers when I iron. I constantly do it. Kids hear me go, “Ahhhhh!” and shrug, “Mummy’s ironing again.”
Oh, the dangerous world of sewing! I’m certainly not new to this dilemma, and you fared much better than I usually do.
I’ve managed to sew through my fingers a ridiculous amount of times, the worst one, though, was when the needle went through to the bone. And broke off! My poor husband had to use the (disinfected) pliers to get the needle out of my poor finger, as well as maneuver me out of the machine itself! I still have a tiny piece of metal in there, but even the doctors say it’s not worth it to go for it.
I agree with a previous poster: use an awl! And when sewing next to metal, safety glasses really can’t be overestimated.
Don’t leave one of those soft pin cushions laying around for kitties to steal. My Chloe LOVES pin cushions. She’s stolen my red tomato one, a cute knitted acorn one that someone made for me, and is mad to get the lavender filled purple one in my sewing box. She batters those around the house and with the pins and needles in them, it could be dangerous. So now all those pin cushions are her’s, except the lavender one. Apparently tho lavender has a similar affect on cats as catnip does. Also, don’t leave a needle stuck in a spool of thread. Those are also toys to be stolen in the middle of the night.
Val
One time, when my son was about 18 months, I was sewing something on my pfaff (so, pretty powerful) when my son came up and tried to grab the needle – as it was moving!! Needless to say, the needle went right through his finger and back out again, and his finger hand been stitched to the fabric. We both just looked at it in shock for half a second, until we both started screaming. I quickly cut him out of the machine, and I did some first aid. It didn’t seem to have hit the bone, so I thought we were good. The next morning, it was red and swollen, and I realized the THREAD was still in his finger! I yanked it out, did more first aid, and after that it was fine. Still TOTALLY traumatizing for me though (he doesn’t even remember it). I still never sew when he’s awake.
As a matter of fact, I had a needle break today! 3-4 layers of thick canvas that I was sewing a patch into and when it hit that 5th layer *Crunch* I had three or four little needle pieces to pick out of my cot’s canvas!
That made me light headed just to read it.
A couple of weeks ago I drove my machine needle into the presser foot! It lodged there. I thought I had broken the machine because I couldn’t bring the needle up without it falling back down again. I didn’t realize it was lodged until I calmed down.
I pulled it out with pliers and there is a hole straight through the presser foot that wasn’t there before! It was scary but kind of cool to realize my machine is that powerful! Fortunately no fingers were in the way either.
When I was 6 and using the family machine on my own whenever I wanted, folks chastised my mother for letting me do that. “She will put a needle through her finger!” My mother felt we could deal with that and let me keep on using the machine to make doll clothes, to alter old clothes in the costume box to make whatever I needed, and eventually to sew for myself. I finally did put a needle through my finger. I was 17. I backed it out of the nail, looked at the hole, put on a bandaid and finished my dress that I was wearing that night to a dance. My grandson (8) uses my machine. I do not hover. Prudence is always good. To think that we will go through life without mishaps is absurd. To think that we should is also absurd. Take care and forge ahead.
Another sewing room safety tip: if you have pets (cats especially) remove all thread from hand needles. Animals playing with the thread can swallow needles.
Oh! I live in constant fear of accidentally sewing my finger! Does this give me the common sense to turn the machine off when I’m fiddling about with the needle or bobbin? Well, of course not! But at least I know I’m asking for trouble…
Glad your poor finger was okay. Seriously impressed you managed something as mild as “gosh” under the circumstances!
I’ve sewn through my fingers a couple of times, but thankfully not when the machine was set to the “needle down” position. That must have been horrible!
I’ve bled from it, but I usually just end up laughing it off. The first time it was horrible, the second time, not so bad, and the third I said “Oh. I just sewed through my finger.” and my husband came across the room with a really scared face. Meh. It happens. Yes, be very careful, but also remember to change your needle often. If it does happen, it’s better with a sharp one than a dull one 😉
I’m thankful I wear glasses as well, because I have had things fly in my face and hit my glasses. Usually as a result of hitting metal boning and being too much in a hurry, like you said.
Great article, and great tips! I really should heed these so it doesn’t happen again 🙂
Professional seamstresses always have an awl next to the machine. Now I know why. I nearly did they same thing and now that awl is my best friend for tiny seams and ruffles.
Silly question, what kind of awl are you referring to here? I work with wood and I work with fabric so my brain is wandering all over the place trying figure out which kind of awl you would have by the sewing machine and just what you would use it for.
I have a couple – a short, plain one from fashion school and a tapered one from Dritz that I love. They are specifically sold for sewing. I use it mainly for corset making and hand eyelets, but it comes in handy as a 3rd hand to maneuver fabric in and around the presser foot.
Geez, now I’m paranoid!
Other than breaking two needles on this current project (one on a parasol frame?! and one on a corset, the standard hitting a bone mistake) I had my finger sliced up by a pin so well that it looked like a knife did it. And it was deep too (this was also when I was working on that very same parasol cover!). not quite sure how that happened, but I’ve been stabbed many a time when pinning pattern pieces to cut out something, and I’m trying to brush out some folds in the fabric and my hand/arm gets caught by a pin, and I end up with tiny scrapes at best. So mind your pins! They’re not needles, but they’re sharp enough to hurt!
My sister put a sewing machine needle through her finger long ago, while she was in high school. Like you, no harm done.
When sewing near metal bones I almost always switch to turning the sewing machine wheel by hand until I’m past. I’ve jammed the machine and bent too many needles to do otherwise, and it’s worth the extra time. I always figure it’s still faster than hand-sewing.
Once a needle broke in the machine and might have very well have hit me in the eye if I hadn’t been wearing my reading glasses. (Never thought I would bless my aging eyes!) Now I always wear a pair of low-power reading glasses or lightweight safety glasses when I’m at the machine to protect my eyes from a similar mishap.
That is what I was going to say – that little tip of the needle that can go flying off if it breaks! So far it hasn’t hit my glasses but I did feel it bounce off my cheek. Scary!
I am also a fortunate… a needle broke when sewing a dress around beading. The needle splintered and I heard it hit my glasses. Fortunately this slowed the process and the splintered needle only rested in the lower eyelid and not imbedded in the eye. But being a work incident I was escourted, blind folded to an eye hospital to be checked. I think the blindfolded experience was actually more scary than the needle… to think what might have happened.
I’ve sewn my finger before but always a such an angle that it just caught the edge. The only time I’ve ever had real bleeding (more than just a drop) I wasn’t even the one sewing! I was helping my friend figure out her sewing machine and I cut my thumb trying to get her bobbin back in. I’m not entirely sure how I did that but the machine had a metal shell and it was a really awkward angle to get the bobbin in and there mush have been a sharp edge down there somewhere!
I recently made myself a hanging organizer and it’s helped sooooo much with keeping my space clean, which my husband appreciates because I sew in the living room and kitchen.