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Embroidery Gone Wild: Hilarious & Relatable Crafting Fails, Machine Mishaps, and Stitching Survival Stories
What happens when you ask a group of machine embroidery lovers to spill their wildest crafting tales?
A whole lot of “Oh no!”, “Me too!”, and “How did you survive that?!”
Last year in our Blessings Facebook Group, we threw out a playful prompt:
“Tell us your WILDEST embroidery adventures!”
And wow, did you deliver. From stitchy saves and magnetic hoop mishaps to rogue toddlers and rotary cutter chaos, your stories had us laughing, wincing, and marveling at your creativity and courage.
So grab your favorite mug rug and pour yourself a cozy drink—just make sure it’s spew-proof. These tales are full of giggles, gasps, and the kind of stitchy solidarity that makes our JuJu family so special.
Oops, I Stitched What?!
We’ve all had that moment. The machine’s humming, you're feeling proud . . . and then it hits you: something important just got stitched where it doesn’t belong.
“I caught part of the fabric under the hoop and had to redo a large section.” – Bernadette F.
“I embroidered a huge moth into a design. Left my machine unattended for a few minutes and came back to a gross mess of what was left of the moth. I had seen it hovering around the lights before I left but didn’t think anything of it. Never tried to salvage that project—yuck!!” – Tina C.
And Kaycee B. gave us this gem of a week:
“Stitched the wrong name on a customer’s shirt. Had to order a replacement—with rush shipping! That same week I stitched things upside down, bent the automatic needle threader, caught fabric underneath my hoop, and nearly froze outside trying to get the perfect photo. WHAT A LIFE!”
Battle Scars from the Craft Table
If anyone’s wondering just how intense embroidery can get—here’s your answer. The injury list is long, and y’all have the literal scars to prove it.
“Put the needle through the pad of my thumb. My reaction was to pull it back—ripped right through. Bandaged it and kept sewing.” – Pam C.
And Beth S.?
“I’ve sewn through my finger not once, not twice, but three times. You would think that I would learn.”
We would, Beth. We really would.
Karen G. stitched her finger on a shop machine and broke the needle mid-class—ouch. And then there’s Brenda B., who takes the embroidery ER prize:
“I’ve stitched my right index finger to the bed of my machine—twice. One time at home and one time in class. Had to use a clamp to pull the needle out of my finger. Everyone thought I was just removing the foot—until I started digging for the clamp. My fingernail grows funny now . . .”
Rotary Cutters, Chaos, and Close Calls
Let’s not forget the other sharp object in the room: the rotary cutter.
“Jumped a square-up ruler and ran the rotary cutter across my finger—right through the fingernail bed. Ouchie!” – Deanna O.
“Sliced a body part with the rotary cutter and needed stitches.” – Sheryl M.
“Rotary cutter accident requiring stitches . . . twice.” – Katherine B.
Friendly reminder: those blades don’t mess around.
Tiny Humans, Big Chaos
Some of the best stories come courtesy of our tiniest “helpers” . . .
“Caught my 3-year-old taking fabric scraps from the floor and tossing them onto the hoop while it was stitching.” – Heather R.
Stephanie W. replied with what we’re all thinking: “That story is gold!”
And that wasn’t the only toddler mischief in the group . . .
“My toddler sat under my table and pulled the thread from the machine every time I turned around. I couldn’t figure out why it kept unthreading!” – Mindy H.
We’re still laughing at the image of a sneaky thread bandit at work.
And then there’s the story that feels all too familiar to busy stitchers everywhere:
“Trying to embroider with a toddler on my hip and a preschooler asking for snacks every five minutes . . . I forgot to change the thread color and stitched two whole sections in the wrong shade.” – Tina C.
Honestly? Just managing to get the machine turned on with littles in the room deserves a gold star.
Machines Gone Mad
If you’ve ever walked away from your embroidery machine only to return to a crisis, you’re not alone.
“Walked away and came back to huge birds’ nests stitched into a child’s shirt, a broken needle, and a machine demanding rest.” – Leah S.
And sometimes it’s not the machine . . . but the room! Like when someone’s hubby dropped a new embroidery machine while trying to clean and rearrange. We’re just thankful no one’s toes suffered the consequences!
Then there’s Karen G. with the ultimate save:
“36,000-stitch project. At 30,000, I bumped the hoop with my chair, shut the machine off, and went to bed. Next morning, I tore out the misplaced stitches, restarted the design—and it stitched out perfectly. These machines are amazing.”
Stitch-Saving Superpowers
Every seasoned stitcher has a few “creative save” tricks up their sleeve—and we are here for the ingenuity.
“I applique over it, glue on buttons, bows, rhinestones—whatever it takes to fix it. I never throw a project away unless it’s absolutely unsalvageable.” – Jenni G.
“I stitched a cute dragon sideways on a towel. I was so frustrated—then realized I could fold it and turn it into a drawstring bag. It turned out so cute, I’ve made several more since!” – Mary N.
That’s the JuJu spirit: embrace the happy accident and make it even better than the original!
Words of Wisdom from Our JuJu Fam
These quotes deserve to be stitched on a sampler somewhere:
“If you see something that could become a problem, deal with it before it does.” – Gwen C.
“Never sew without your phone nearby—just in case.” – Barbara W., who woke up in an ambulance after a needle injury.
“Is there a prize for having done the most of these?” – Debbie Y.
We're working on that badge of honor, Debbie.
In the End, We Stitch On
Whether you’ve stitched yourself, stitched upside down, stitched through a moth (still not over that one), or bumped a hoop at 30,000 stitches and lived to tell the tale—we’re in this together.
To every JuJu stitcher who shared their story: thank you. You reminded us that perfection isn’t the point—persistence, progress, and a whole lot of laughter are what really matter.
Please continue sharing your projects and experiences in the Designs by JuJu Embroidery Blessings Facebook Group. Happy (and safe) stitching always!
