What Was Your Worst Injury While Quilting?
 

I have a habit of nicking myself with my rotary cutter. Never needed stitches, thank goodness, but it hurts!! The klutz gloves are way to large for my hands, so they won't work for me. (I wear a child's extra large or adult extra small gloves). I've also stuck myself with pins and needles. Occasional burns from the iron. I guess I need to be more careful! :)

What was your worst injury?

I've sewn through my finger multiple times.

When I was quilting professionally on my Bernina 1530, I would get a lower backache from not taking breaks that I knew I should. Always deadlines!! don't miss THAT anymore. I have time finally to work on charity quilts at my own pace!! :)

I was bent over the table cutting strips.
As I tried to stand up straight my back went out.

I had to call in to take the day off from work.
"I won't be in today. I hurt myself quilting."

"Really? Did the dog eat your homework, too?"

LOL LOL LOL

Severe Rotar Cuff pain, could not even lift my arm. Had to get a shot in shoulder. Took several weeks to heel. Too much cutting and sewing!!

had a few, twice cut the tip off my finger, sewed thru my finger and had to pick up the machine to unplug to dis engage and then replug it in to get the needle out of my finger. blood all over the place. also cut my toe to the bone when putting in a new blade and dropped it on my toes. One of theos finger nicks...cut the tip of the bone off left index finger (at work in an embroidery machine co), what a MESS, blood all over!!!

oh years ago, I was sewing all day into the night to finish a suit I was making for a boyfriend. the iron was
very hot. I ironed my finger till the knuckle turned black. I still have that scare, that was when I was 18, now i'm 55 (in a few days)

Tried to cut off the tip of my left index finger with a rotary cutter. Fingernail is still wonky and little sensation in the tip. :)

"What was your worst injury?" A thinner wallet!!

My worst injury came while I owned the shop. We all often picked up bolts of fabric with one hand by the end of the bolt. This produced a repetitive injury common among shop owners/employees that was just like tennis elbow. When I realized both my arms hurt most of the time, I trained my staff to pick up bolts in a "hug" motion, rather than with fingers and palm. A friend who owned Quilt Country in Lewisville, TX, was in a sling for months due to this injury. It hurts for a long time and rest seems to be the main treatment!

Jan in VA

Other than cutting off a finger nail been very lucky? My worst injury I suppose was to my brain. Too many quilts to try and make not enough time or fabric panic.

I had the single hole face plate in the machine and without thinking set the machine to a zigzag stitch. The needle hit the plate, shattered, and lodged in my face right next to my eye.

There have been some burns (colloidal silver), and rotary cuts, but the needle was the scariest!

From the competitive use of sewing and using my rotary cutter I now have to have carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand sometime this summer. But I asked the doctor, would it still be alright for me to sew after the surgery in a splint on my hand? He just looked at and smiled. I am trying to get as much of my cutting, piecing, sewing done now.

I cut my left thumb, it bled for four hours. went to ER and sat another hour. By the time I saw anyone, it had stopped. they used the most ingenious contraption to put gause on my thumb. (a nurse invented it). I did have to get a metal guard to wear on my finger at work because I'd cut some nerves.

dropped my rotary cutter on my foot and of course I was barefoot. So much blood, it was awful.

I find quilting to be reasonably safe. But, just the other day somehow a needle that wasn't near the sewing area, flipped up in the air at a fast rate of speed and hit me in the eye. Lucky I had my glasses on. Whew!

seven stitches to the inch on my left index finger. Emergency room Doc and Nurse and I were laughing and talking so much the the doc said 4 stitches seeyour primary to get them out in one week. Primary said "You have seven stiches here." Oh well!

Carpal tunnel syndrome in left hand due to rotary cutting. Not the hand using the cutter, but the one steadying the ruller - go figure!

Looks like many of us need the klutz glove! I too have had a rotary cutting mishap. And to many times to count have I sewn my finger or almost sewn. Pulling your finger back quickly and breaking the needle really hurts. My fingers are so caloused that I can't feel when I'm hand sewing them to a project. Doesn't hurt but sure is funny when I do it!

Same here but DH tried to show me how to cut so as not to hurt ones self and did the same thing but he needed stitches. I just glued the end back onto my finger.

Sewn thru my thumb first when I got my machine???:(

My sister walked in on me once when I was doing some hand embroidery. I had a very calloused index finger and had a spare needle stuck in it. At the very top of the callous. She saw that and just about passed out. That is the only finger I don't trim the callouses often.

Sewed right into my finger. Had shoulder bursitis from cutting...finally figured out to use proper height table. Developed big callous from hand quilting (I can relate to the needle in the finger and no blood!). Snip, snip, snip right into the web of my finger...ow. I too have had flying needle pieces that thankfully hit my glasses. Miraculously have never had pins or needles in my feet.

Also recently I FMQ'ed my cutting mat onto the back of my quilt. Not sure why I didn't stop when the wonk-wonk-wonk started, but that's a "brain injury" type problem!

Hokey Smokes, I now have fear of the dreaded quilt room.
I feel I need to be knocking on wood and circling the sewing machine three times :)

Me too, to KalamaQuilts above and circling my machine three times. New one for this witchy quilter. I am a stickler for remembering the rules--they are kinda burned into my brain. Maybe that is my worst injury--I have a problem with names anymore.

I was cleaning my machine while talking on the phone to my niece (my bad), well somehow my foot pushed the pedal down and the hook sliced my forefinger really good. Blood everywhere and it could have stood few stitches but I patched it up, it was sore forever and still have a small scar. I also cut the web on my hand between the thumb and finger when I got my first pair of Ginghers.

I have burned myself with my iron and stuck myself with needles. Also sewing my binding on by hand i sew my finger to the quilt.

Years and years ago when I began sewing on my dressmaker sewing machine, I was so engrossed in sewing I didn't realize that I was so close to the machine until the take up lever for the top thread hit me in the forehead. I wore that knot for several days. Did I learn my lesson? Of course not, I did that several times over the course of years. Thank goodness my Janome has the take up lever behind its little door.

Don't quite know how... but cut a "V" into my thumb pad...took 5 stitches... sigh...

I've cut myself with the rotary cutter several times, burned myself with the iron. But I think the back pain is the worst, although it's not officially a quilting injury.

I had to quilt a 90 x 90 quilt in one day....towards the end....at 10PM I was FMQ and my left finger was too close, I sewed through my finger on the fleshy part, thank goodness it did not go through the nail or bone....THIS WAS TWO DAYS AGO. I STILL FEEL STUPID ABOUT IT.

Sewn through my Right index finger with 2 different machines (FW and LA) and once through my Left ( I became one with my machines ;)) - no major damage and no blood in the quilts involved. Once cut my right thumb with the rotary cutter and needed several stitches.

I split my needles and thought I picked them up with my handy magnetic (thing a ma gig) it has a handle on it . Any way a couple weeks later I punctured my left foot and I found a needle on the floor. My foot continued to hurt and I checked it out I saw a spot where I punctured it. Couldn't find any thing,just figured it just hurt.21/2 months later I figured Ide better get it checked out.My foot really hurt and it was a tade bit swollen.DR looked and couldn't find any thing but decided to take an ex ray. Well I had a needle in my foot in the meaty area closer to toes.I was sent to foot Dr and he had to do surgery to remove the needle.12,000 thousand dollars later and still healing I will always wear shoes in my sewing room.The needle was lodged between two spaces in one of the sm bones by my middle toe. Please wear shoes. There easier to wear than an ugly boot.

Sounds like we've all had our share of "owies"!

I tried to add a bit of myself to a quilt for the grandson and sewed through my finger. It didnt really hurt, but the needle broke into 4 pieces, leaving one piece sticking out and 2 deep in the flesh. After becoming infected, an xray, and then a visit to the surgeon to cut out the biggest piece I am left with no scars, but still have 1 tiny piece in the finger. But grandson loves his quilt and that makes me happy.

While adjusting the fabric under the needle my baby sister stepped on the gas peddle and the needle went through the middle of my thumb nail. The needle jammed and my Mom had to take the needle and me off and then she had to pull the needle out of my thumb- I passed out but in my defense I was 8 months pregnant. I actually felt like crap for scaring my sister so bad. It took 30 years before she would go near a sewing machine. Now she loves to sew.