After sewing for almost 50 years, I finally ran the needle through my finger. I couldn't believe I did it! I have come close before. I have had my finger rapped heartily by the side of the needle holder (is there a name for that thingie?), but I never had the needle penetrate the flesh.
Yesterday I was trying to get Wiggle Worm's birthday shirt done. I know the party is February 20, but I have this thing that I have lamented hanging over my head. I don't know when I can return to the land of fun since I don't know when I can climb stairs.
I was trying to hoop a two year old's shirt on an 8 inch by 8 inch hoop. This is something akin to trying to put a gallon of liquid into a pint container. The shirt fits - but there then is the little problem of getting the back out of the way. Funny - it needs to be open so WW can put it on. Strange, isn't it.
So I had this mass of shirt between the hoop and where it has to join the arm of the machine. Not a pretty picture. As I began embroidering his name, I could see that the shirt was not being held tightly. So that meant fingers were perilously close to that needle.
To make matters worse, the thread decided to act up. It would slip off the cone to wrap tightly around the thread holder spool. That made the stitches very tight, and the thread broke - repeatedly. Fixed that. I remembered someone sharing a hint of putting the thread in a jar. Well, not having a jar, I used one of our Floozie Koozies. Worked like a charm - most of the time.
By this time, the hoop had become un-hooped. I pushed and pushed and got it secured again. The design was a little off, but not bad. I was reaching in to try to straighten something when I felt the hit, then the needle piercing the flesh. I was amazed that I had been so stupid.
I quickly stopped the machine. I peered at the now throbbing finger. Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps the needle didn't go through! No blood. Yipee! But then . . . the blood came. It was then I remembered I wanted to stash some bandaids up there. I usually cut a finger with the scissors if I hurt myself. Had I done that little chore. Well you know that answer.
I had to stop the bleeding. I looked around, forgetting that I did have tissue right there. The only thing I saw was the reminants of LB's pink jersey pj top. So I took that strip to try to wrap around the finger tip. The wound was in such a place that I couldn't get good pressure on it, and it wouldn't stay tight.
I looked around for something to use to get the pressure tight. Nothing. I searched all around me, and finally I saw the blue painter's tape. So I wrapped that bleeding finger in blue painter's tape. I got the pressure to hold on the tip. It still took a while to stop the bleeding, and I went back to fighting that shirt.
All in all, it came out OK. It will do. I have to cut jump threads and so on, but it won't take long.
What have I learned from this? Well, I know that I expect too much from this machine. I keep thinking it will do what a professional machine will do. They will hoop something like this - successfully. Will I do this again? You know that answer!
Peace.
5 comments:
oh my that's a painful story...I've been sewing many years as well...not quite 50 but my experience of running the needle through my finger came at a young age...I'd been newly adopted and whilst being home with my mom, was sitting in her room as she sewed. I wanted to do something too so she sat me up at her old treadle machine...one might thing that would be harmless enough, right? Nope. Ran the needle right through my finger, as it turns out I probably ended her project for the day:-) I was 5.
OHMIGOSH--just reading this made my knees weak--I am no good at seeing blood--or apparently reading about it. I have only nicked my finger once on the sewing machine needle, but it still bled like a son of a gun. Glad the shirt is gone and now you can rest without that project causing you to obsess.
oh, it was a scary read today. be very careful to take care of the puncture wound. hubs the nurse says they can be most dangerous. most needles for sewing are at least changed often, so maybe no dirt got inside. that embroidery thread always gets tension problems. bless you for continuing.
Yes, it was a new needle! I thought that a new needle would help with the situation. I appear to be healing!
Owww! That hurts to even think about. If your machine is like mine, with no foot pedal, it kept going even after it stabbed you. I can't believe you taped it and finished the shirt. I bet that hurt like the dickins.
Hey, on the good side, you'll be getting pain meds and antibiotics for your hip, so maybe that will help.
Post a Comment