Taught myself a lesson the hard way
 

I know to always check that the stitch I'm doing is compatible with the foot I have on the machine. Really, I do. For whatever reason I switched from a wide stitch pattern to my stitch in the ditch foot on my Pfaff and started sewing. Smack goes the needle into the plastic of the clear foot! Then the machine froze up. I got that worked out, and knew I needed to change my needle, but the worse news was that it cracked the plastic on the foot and it broke. :( Pricey little mistake. The only positive is that my LQS is having a special event night for their best customers (read, spent too much at the store!) in another week and they will have a percentage off for us that night. Figured if I posted this it may make someone else think twice and prevent them from doing the same thing.

Oh no!!! I'm so sorry. I'm just glad it wasn't your finger!

Yeah, kind of embarrassing when we do that sort of thing - the only saving grace is that usually it's unobserved! I put my zipper foot on backwards and couldn't figure out why I hit the foot, twice - the second time the needle broke. Luckily, the foot is metal and no damage was done other than the broken needle.

I have done this more than once. My Singer has survived it, but the needles didn't.

I've done it too. Fortunately my foot didn't break, but it's got a hole in it to remind me!

I'm so sorry to hear you broke a foot. I hope at least you will be able to finish your project and not have to wait?

My Viking has a setting that you select when you use a foot with a small needle hole or the single hole plate. It won't let you select a zig zag type stitch, or move the needle position. Works really well, of course you have to actually remember to set it...

I have forgotten to change by stitch plate from single hole then tried to zigzag. That does not work well! After that I put a couple of small sticky notes on my machine to change the plate. So far, that has worked :).

Yes, I'm able to to the stitch in the ditch the old fashioned way. LOL

Hope the new foot isn't too expensive. I was able to sand off a rough place that the needle hit and keep using the foot.

You are not alone!

I did that about a week ago when I forgot to change out my needle plate to the zigzag plate. Broken needle and gouged plate were the only consequences.

I keep this one checked on my Diamond Deluxe, saves in the long run.

Oh man, I've done that more times than I care to admit!! And when it happens I always feel SO stupid that I've done it again but it's just one of those things I can't seem to remember. Thankfully my machine is (so far) unharmed by my lack of attention.

One time I even heard a "click" as a bit of needle shrapnel hit my eyeglasses. Never thought I'd be grateful that I have to wear glasses but now I am!

Does your Pfaff not have the option to warn you when you turn it on that you will only be able to straight stitch? I know the newer ones do.

I had one auspicious occasion when I did that 3 times in a row. Changed stitch, forgot to change setting, broke needle. Carefully changed needle. Forgot hadn't changed setting. Broke second needle. Lather, rinse, repeat. Didn't even move from my chair.

Broke all 3 needles (metal foot so no harm there). I'd say I don't know what was going through my head, but I'm afraid the answer would be 'nothing'!

I did figure it out eventually...

And I once used the wrong applique foot (fit another machine). It didn't extend over the needle screw and so never came up when the needle was raised. Thread painted most of a small wall hanging before I noticed. This did involve considerable physical effort as well as many exclamations to the effect of "Why is this fabric so **** hard to move?

If I had the straight stitch needle plate in it would, but I had the regular needle plate in since I was doing a wide stitch. Mentally moved to a straight stitch and changed the foot, but my fingers just didn't follow along with my mental stitch change!

I just did the same thing a few weeks ago, on,y I had a metal foot on my machine. The needle broke, with pieces flying. One piece grazed my cheek. I wear glasses so thankfully my eyes had some protection. It could have been really bad.

Been there. Done that. lol

I'm glad I'm not the only one that has done that. Thankfully no harm done but certainly made me feel stupid. lol

Join the club, although when I've switched to a zig zag stitch when I still have my 1/4" foot on, which is metal by the way, I usually just break the needle and have to put a new one in. Just a Sr. Moment for an Old Timer.

I jammed my Singer Quantum on the Curve Master foot; now I think it messed up the timing because the stitches look like it is set on zero. They only way th stretch the stitches is to override and then it only does a small stitch and it pulls right out. Anyone have any ideas on how to fix this without having to take it for repair. Cannot afford another $100 to have it looked at.

We have all done that and also not changing the plate to one with a larger hole when changing a foot. My new Pfaff will tell me to change the plate. We need all he help we can get. Glad I wasn't your finer.........

oh, yes! i did this at my friend's house, twice, . i felt sooooooo dumb!

Can't tell you how many times I've done that. Presser foot was not plastic so it did not break. It took 2-3 times before I realized why the needles were breaking!

I have been there and done that. It took me 3 tries to realize what the problem was, though, so you are a fast learner compared to me!

I did even worse. I forgot to switch the metal plate back to the wide stitch one. I not only broke the needle, but I bent the needle bar to the tune of over a hundred dollars. You bet I learned.

Yes, Tartan is correct. I have done the same thing with my Bernina and have broken more needles than I care to admit to.