[quote=fliedermaus]Thank you everyone for all the thoughts. Made me feel a bit better about it. Successfully unpicked the mess and can continue.
The young man in question is 10 years old and the youngest of two. Unfortunately he tends to get spoilt while the other doesn't. He got banished into our dining room til his mum got home, and when I told her what he had done she went ballistic. I think he wont dare try something like that again!
I will probably hear it for this but here goes,
I would suggest always checking the settings before sewing too, just because you never know....
I have 3 boys, one is now 19, and two 13 year olds.My now 19 year old was my hand ful! One time he did something similar, I too, got very upset with him.I sat and made him help take it out.(I watching the whole time) After things had simmered (a couple of hours)down, I asked him if he would like to "try" out my machine. I explained how to thread, wind bobbin, and sew with it, the whole shebang, I never had another problem with him and it. So, when the twins started being "interested" in my machine instead of telling them don't touch, with them I asked if they would like to try it out? I would show them how to thread, and the whole bit and let them do it. I also told them anytime they wanted to let me know and they could sew too.
Now one day when I was out in my garden, one of my twins was "busy at the machine" unknown to me. When I came in the house he showed me what he was creating, he had taken a bunch of precut squares and was sewing them together and had many strips started.(But all was good because I had showed him how to do it correctly and let him try before)
He went on to finish the quilt and he even got to do the quilting on it and entered it in our local quilt show. I have also had some of their friends ask about what I was doing at the machine, and then if they could try too. If I am at a stopping point I always let them.(it seems to cure the "want to do something to it", and at the same time lets them own it and they are not inclined to bother it or mess it up. I've never had another problem with buttons being moved or any of that.
When I got my long arm this last Feb. I did the same thing, and have never had any problems with it either.
I did not mean for this to go on so long, but I know how easy it is to get so upset with these guys (and rightly so) and sometimes just a bit of building up and sharing what we do with them will relieve so much michieveousness.
I apologize for being soooo long winded.