Oh my---OUCH! When I was a child (8 yrs old) my Aunt Em was teaching me to sew on her treadle Singer (oh how I wish I had that)...as we sewed, the phone rang, she went to answer and I continued to sew...right thru my pointing finger...It hurt so badly that I stopped peddling and the needle just stayed there. I was yelling my brothers name (looking for help) and all my Aunt said from the kitchen was "Arthur, leave her alone" having no clue what I had done. I was standing beside the machine, in front of the machine, sitting down, standing up and never gave a thought to turning the wheel to lift the needle out. Finally, after several moments of crying, Aunt Em came into the dining room and saved the day----and my finger. She told me "Now you really know how to sew...you must keep your fingers away from the needle". God Bless her soul...such a painful but happy memory. Needless to say, I "respect" the needle on a sewing machine!!!!!