Oh boy -I got off lucky-I was zipping along cutting strips and the rotary cutter slipped over the ruler and knicked the knuckle on my left thumb! Scared the beegeesus out of me! Thank God (and I did!) it was just a knick, I was almost afraid to look. The best part?? Don't need stitches AND did not bleed on the fabric, YAY! I've heard horror stories about quilters loosing tips of fingers, slicing off edges of fingers, dropping cutter on bare feet. Has this happened to anyone out there :!:

Glad it wasn't any worse than it was!!!

No. I am extra careful when cutting because I am paranoid about getting cut with that sharp blade!

no, please be careful!

How many stitches per inch when quilting?

Seven on the left index finger, right at the nail. Yes it just slipped.

Yep! I was doing one of the things they tell you to never do -- I was using the rotary to slice off a little bit without using a ruler. Sliced into the tip of my left index finger. Bleed right away.

I just rinsed it and wrapped it up. Kept a bandage on it for at least a week. Even after it healed, I had less feeling in that finger tip for awhile.

I have been more careful since!

dropped my rotary cutter on my foot one day (of course I was barefoot) Sliced the heck out of my foot and bled like crazy. Learned a hard lesson

Only nicks when I forget to close it when I lay it down.

Yes. Learned my lesson about dull blades! I was cutting along and the cutter hit the ruler, jumped up, and cut across my left pointer cutting into the middle of my nail down into the nail! AAARRRRGGGG!!!!
I grabbed my finger and started jumping up and down, much to the delight of my 18mo old- who thought "mommy be funny"!
It was sore for a good week, and eventually the nail grew out ok and now I always use a sharp blade!

I've just barely got myself once or twice. Thankfully nothing serious. Glad you weren't hurt too terribly.

Yes, I almost sliced off a piece of my right thumb (I'm left handed)with the original rotary cutters when I was making a boy doll for my then 2 year old son (he's 25 now). He was running around and I didn't pay attention to what I was doing. DH was at work. Luckily, our friend lived next door and took us to the hospital to have stitches put in my thumb. This occured before I started quilting.

Now, I use the retractable Olfa and still try to be very careful.

Yes, after many years of using a rotary cutter, I finally dut a chunk out of my middle finger Don't ask me how I missed my index finger and hit the middle, but it really bleed. I live too far from ER and so I just taped it up, and went back to cutting, being a whole lot more careful now. I really need to invest in a better cutter. Like one that has a sensor when it leaves material and goes airborne toward human skin. Do they make such a thing? lol

No injuries here. Glad you got away with just a nick. Please be careful. Those babies are so sharp.

A week ago I did the same thing, except I took a small chunk out of my left index finger. They couldn't stitch it so I wore a big honkin' bandage for a week. The funny thing is I have a big handle which I make my young grandaughters use and which I will use now. Just a small slip can really ruin a few days :thumbdown:

I seem to do more damage to myself with pins. I'm always getting myself good. I have to keep bandaids close by.

Twice,a hunk of left side of thumb and right side of index finger. I went right out and bought two new pressure sensitive rotary cutters. Immediately dropped one on my bare foot, wow, nothing happened. That made a believer out of me.

Quilting is a dangerous sport!

I have run into my fingers--no damage. I dropped the cutter on my bare foot--no damage. I tend to use dull blades. Too cheap to change them often. I'm like klc I do more damage with pins and needles. I'm always sewing my finger into the project. I also have a spot on my middle finger that the needle always finds. It doesn't bleed, just hurts with every stitch and I have a lot of trouble with a thimble. Poor Me!!
Sue

Gave my fingernails a manicure once. Scared me enough that I'm super careful now!

a couple of times over the years. Most recently was in the spring while getting ready for a quilt retreat. While it looked bad, it really was not that bad of a cut and within a couple of days I could go without the bandaid.

So glad that it was not a bad cut and no damage done to the quilt. Yes, twice as a matter of fact and both times it was deep enough to need stitches. Just like you, per say, zipping along and wham somehow I managed to get my finger in the way. I hope that it never happens again or to anyone for that matter.

yep, i was using my 24 inch ruler that has a plastic guard along one side. but of course i'd picked it up and was cutting on the side without the guard.
i evidently hit something and the cutter went up over the ruler and onto my thumb. cut it badly. bled for 4 hours and went to ER, sat another hour and it stopped by then. all they did was wrap miles of gause around it. later i bought a metal finger guard since i'd cut nerves that were very sensitive for weeks afterwards.
i'm much more careful now!! also use a cutter that has the handle you squeeze to open the blade and when you let go the safety shuts it automatically. good in case i were to drop it.... ouch!

When I first started quilting my youngest son wanted to help. Of course being a boy he wanted to use the rotary cutter. So I held the ruler as far back as I could and he cut, he cut right over the top of my nail on my middle finger. I instantly brought my hand back and covered it with my other hand so it wouldn't bleed on the fabric and so he couldn't see it. He was around 12 or 13. His eyes were the size of dinner plates and so were mine, he threw the rotary cutter on the floor and followed me to the bathroom asking if he'd cut off my finger. I was afraid to look, afraid to let go of my finger. Turning on the water with my white knuckles letting the water get really cold to help stop any bleeding that may be under my white knuckled grip. As soon as I let go the blood just poured out, I'm cut on the diaginal from nail tip to knuckle, making it look much worse than what it was, my son freaks out, thinking I'm in need of a medic. Being a tough single mom and seeing that I'm gonna loose this nail and doubting it even leaves a scar I tell him to get the large bandaids and some gauze. After bandaging it up and applying ice, and holding my finger over my head I got the bleeding to stop. My finger is good as new, and my son hasn't wanted to help ever again. I lost the nail, it grew back, no permanent damage. Do I use a safety glove now, heck no.

Yes just once about a week ago.

So glad you didn't cut yourself more than the nick. I have a guard on my ruler for added protection. Grew up on farm an saw nasty accidents, so I'm always over cautious. Heck I almost padded the children when they grew up, as to avoid seeing blood!

Guilty.

I have bumped the cutter (just barely) and ended up needing a bandaid! They are great, but for klutzes like me can be dangerous!

Mine got knocked off the table and hit two toes and cut deep. I was leaving for Alaska in 2 wks and had to keep it wrapped as it kept "leaking" from all the walking. But it finally healed. I try to remember to close them when not in use. I'm always barefoot in the house.

When my DS was about 10 he wanted to see how the rotary cutter worked so was busy slicing up scraps when he nicked his finger... This is after being told several times to be careful cos it is sharp!!! Gave him a fright and he has left my quilting equipment alone since then

dropped one that came VERY close to little feet years ago. Scared the heck out of me and i now only buy the automatically retracting ones! hope your foot healed quickly!

Not yet.

I've never seen the guards for rulers that have been mentioned -how do they attach to the ruler? I guess I better get one-is there an online site I can order from? And to you poor ladies that have really done a number on your fingers-what an icky tale to tell!

Yes! Last weekend of May, my rotary cutter slipped and I cut off about 1/3 of my index finger. I opted to not go to the hospital to have it sewn back on. A doctor lives next door and he came over. When he unwrapped the towels I had around it, I hit the floor. Fortunately, a wound care nurse lives on the opposite side of me. She told me to clean it once or twice with peroxide. After that, keep it clean with antibiotic ointment on it and wrapped.

It has grown back and you can never tell. I don't have exact feeling on the tip of that finger. It may or may not have feeling again.

Believe it or not, it never hurt. The nurse said it didn't because I had cut off the nerve endings. I made a makeshift splint so that I wouldn't hit it on anything out of a papertowel core.

I have since bought a shield that attaches to the 6x24 ruler and that works great. Also someone gave me a Klutz glove to use.

Oh yes, just last night while sewing dropped the rotary cutter and of course the blade was engaged. It bounced off the leg of my work table and hit my heel on right foot as I was bare footed. At first didn't think it had cut, but then looked again and blood was all over the place. Normally I close it when I am finished, this time just forgot. It happens.

Yes

Oh yes,i dropped the old kind of Olfa and it was closed,on my big toe.What a mess,but it stopped bleeding.No DR no hospital,i was lucky.Connie in CO

At my LQS the story is that more than one person has cut themself there....one had to be rushed to hospital for stitches.

I've been on coumadin (sp?) and have been very careful when using the rotary cutter......just shaving my legs has become a big deal for nicks !

I am glad your injury was not too serious. I have to be extremely careful as I am on Coumadin (blood thinner) I have to admit it makes me paranoid sometimes.

I'm with 68. Seven stitches, and a scar on the second finger of my left hand. Just looked up for a moment to talk with my husband. Moral of the story? Don't talk!

Yep. I was using my rotary cutter really late at night, and the phone rang and it startled me so much that the cutter jumped the ruler and cut a slice off my index finger. It didn't hurt, but I bled like crazy. And, it was a wrong number.