I've done it too. I'm very careful about where my fingers are when I'm sewing now, especially since I'm allergic to tetanus vaccine.

Yep I have dont it not once but twice. Embroidery machine ...went to brush a thread out of my way. You would think I would learn after the first time. I was glad too that I did not hit the bone. Be safe. Nancy

Years ago when I was around 13 my next door neighbor (who was 14) called crying & yelling for me to come to her house. Her parents were a work & she was the only one home. So, I ran as fast as I could. There she sat at their sewing machine with the needle through her index finger. I didn't sew back then or know anything about sewing machines, but it was an older black model. I bet it was some sort of Singer. Anyway, I told her to turn the wheel, but she refused and continued to scream. She wanted me to call an ambulance...ha. While talking with her and without telling her that I was going to do it I reached down & gave the wheel half a turn. She was free, but had a sore finger for several days. I hope your finger heals quickly.

My oldest daughter did the same, had the needle going all the way through her thumb. She never made a sound, knew mom would be upset and not want her to use the embroidery machine again if she were going to get hurt.

I'm picturing you trying to type out this topic......with one hand. Ohhhh! That sounds so painful. I guess watching TV and sewing falls in the same category as driving and texting. But we human beings are all the same - so the answer to your question is No, I'm sure you're not the only person who has done such a thing. Take care of yourself.........C9P

this reminds me of years ago when my husband was alive he came into the house and said" Look what I have done" he had stappled a nail threw two of his fingers on the left hand. took him to the ER and thank god he missed bones. they pulled it out and it all healed well.

Ouch is an understatement. I have always worried about doing that. Maybe they need to come out with finger armor. Like a thimble but let it slip over the finger as a guard.

I hope it heals quickly, I think a lot of us have done exactly what you did. No, you are not an idiot!

You are NOT the only idiot...and I didn't have a TV to blame the accident on!! I blame it on my youth at the time. I was in Home Economics class at school when it happened to me which put me at the age of about 15. I was so intent on what I was sewing that I didn't realize how close my fingers were to the needle until it came down on my left pointer finger--right in the side of the nail quick and all the way though my finger. Of course I stopped sewing and called my teacher, Miss Quinley, over to help me. Very calmly, she just turned the machine head until the needle came out of my finger--no thread. No bleeding as I recall. Took my project home to finish it. That next day at home, with my swollen finger still guiding the fabric, I got too close again. Needle went back in the same place on the same finger. That time I jerked my hand away so hard I broke the needle off...still in my finger. My mother got to remove that. Last time that ever happened to me and I'm now 58 yrs. old. Well learned lesson!!!