The rotary cutter will get you before you know it. I sliced the side of my left hand index finger off & had to go to the emergency room. Couldn't save the piece, but that was about 6 years ago & you can only tell it if you know it now. Phew! that was a lesson in how not to hold your ruler!!

I do something like that about every 30 years. I'm on borrowed time, now. Sewing is not for the faint of heart!

FYI If you get a needle in your finger, you need a tetanus shot if you are not current.

So, now you know why you are told to guide the fabric! LOL I also keep a couple different size stilettos handy when I am doing intricate spots --better the needle hit that than me. Also keep up on your tetanus shots ---

This brings back memories of about 30 years ago when my DH wanted me to make seat covers for his new truck. There I was just sewing away on thick denim using a heavy duty machine needle when my index finger got too close...the needle went thru the skin at the top of my nail, jumped and went thru the skin at the side of my nail, jumped again and continued to sew the seam in the denim with about an inch space of stitching missing where my finger was. I got the machine stopped and sit there in shock at what just happened. Needless to say it was time for a break from sewing for a while.

I am glad you and the quilt will be fine. I just did that the other day, it would be better if my reaction would not be to jerk my finger away, because I ripped my finger on top of sewing it. :? God bless.

My Mom used to work for The North Star Glove company, sewing on the thumbs and/or cuffs. One day she came home and showed me her thumb nail. :shock: OMG she had sewn her thumb nail, I mean you could see the stiches. She totally missed the flesh and sewed perfectly across the nail in an arch just following the edge of her finger. She clipped the stiching before and after the nail so it looked like the nail was sewn.
I was so afraid to sew for a long time and when in Jr High economics class I failed the apron because I refused to sew for fear I was going to sew my fingers. LOL!! OK I'm over that now.. But Geezzzz! :lol:
:XD:

Hope that finger gets better real soon, easier to quilt with all digits working.
Your story brought back bad memories for me I use to sew for Rose Marie Reed Swimsuits. I worked on the pin tuck machine, two needles. Long story short I ran both needles through my index finger on my right hand and I will be darned if I did not do the sam thing a few days later to the left one. It did get me the rest of the day off. But don't think I ejoyed the free time, finger throbbing to much. Thanks for the memory. Ha MNM

I sewed my finger, or more frequently my thumb, when I was a child of 7 or 8 just learning to sew. I quickly learned to turn the wheel and back the needle out of my digit. I don't think I tore it out more than once. That made my finger too sore, and I wasn't allowed to use the sewing machine until it healed.