Murphy's Laws of Sewing

[Lorraine]

Your index finger splits open from the cold/dry weather and bleeds all over the interfacing. You figure you got off easy since no one will ever see it, until you turn it around and see the giant red streak right own the middle of the bodice. You slightly alter your trim design to cover the bit of blood you weren't able to wash off, spend the next 3 hours sewing on pearls, another 4 hours handsewing through all the layers of duck using a pair of pliers, and when you go to do the grommets and put fray block on the cut grommet holes the bottle explodes all over the beautiful blue jacquard <sigh>

[tigerlilly]

Your index finger splits open from the cold/dry weather and bleeds all over the interfacing. You figure you got off easy since no one will ever see it, until you turn it around and see the giant red streak right own the middle of the bodice. You slightly alter your trim design to cover the bit of blood you weren't able to wash off, spend the next 3 hours sewing on pearls, another 4 hours handsewing through all the layers of duck using a pair of pliers, and when you go to do the grommets and put fray block on the cut grommet holes the bottle explodes all over the beautiful blue jacquard <sigh>

That only rates a "<sigh>"??  My goodness, what would it take to make you curse and throw things?

I always hate cutting the eyelet holes.  Very nervous-making.  You work so hard on a project, and the last step is to poke holes in it.  One slip and the whole thing could be down the drain.

*hands Lorraine a hankie and a cup of loki-enriched tea*

[Lorraine]

I only yell after pricking my fingers, although my Mom says I need to change my phrases to "Whoopie" to be child safe, don't think that will be happening anytime soon. I threw the corset in the sink while the fray block was still wet and amazingly enough it looks like it all came out, and it didn't ruin the fabric (double yippee!!). I'll still take the tea while you're offering though

[NicoleBridget]

I'm so grateful for this thread, I can SO relate to just about all of these.  The one about finding the perfect buttons and the store coming up one card short...  Ah, yes.  I bet we can chalk that up to modern clothing needing nowhere near as many buttons as we do for historical costuming.  One that was on the Murphy's Sewing list that I didn't see here was...

...running out of black or white thread.  The basics.  Because you just assume you MUST have them.  Sewing store usually automatically restocks them in my house when I start getting low I guess, I don't know...

[tigerlilly]

This is sort of anti-Murphy, but I just finished a topstitched hem, with about six inches of thread left over, and I didn't have another spool of that color.  Yippee!

Now, I wonder, what horrible sewing mishap I will have to suffer to make up for this bit of good luck? 

[Kate XXXXXX]

Do not tempt fate...   

[Margaret]

I did not read all the new updated gaffs and mishaps, but here's another one (hope it's not a duplicate)


You buy a special needle/tool/item to make a sewing job a piece of cake.  When you go to find that needle/tool/item, you will not be able to find it until after you have completed the job with the "This needle/tool/item I now have to use will make this job a billion times more difficult, but it's the only thing I have to work with." needle/tool/item.

[Kate XXXXXX]

When you are [size=20pt]REALLY[/size] pushed for time, the silk thread you want to do the buttonholes in will evaporate...

[CapnFayeCutler]

When you get ready to start sewing on pearls, and you realize that none of your needles are small enough to go through the hole, your reamer's in storage, and the stores are all closed. GRRR!!! 

I got fed up and just found some on ebay I like. Ooh collapsible eyes and they're sharp. WOO! Well at least this gives me a few days to work on other parts of my project. 

[GirlChris]

You will never have enough trim. Never.

[Nailin]

Buying too much trim to prevent a return trip

Trying to hem a cloak while someone else drives

The beautiful bodice bleeds all over your white parlet/shift

Your bloomers come above your kneee when you wanted them below

The flat cap comes out too small

[Lady Anne Clare]

You lay your fabric out, placing pattern pieces and the cats decide it's time for a marathon...across your fabric

[Taffy Saltwater]

You hand hem a black garment at midnight & wake to find you've used navy thread - argh!

[Lady Rosalind]

The gorgeous peacock-blue changeable silk only SEEMED to not bleed when you washed the swatch in Woolite. When you wash the rest of the 4 yards, it will bleed blue EVERYWHERE, causing you to panic and shove it into the tub to rinse. Blue hands, blue towels, blue tub...   

The swatch washed perfectly, without losing any color. This was going to be a hat, among other things... hope it doesn't rain at faire, or I'll have blue running down my neck. 

[Sorcha]

Buttons that you would like to come on cards of 2 will come on a card of three.  And vice versa. 
Additionally, the store will have just enough buttons you need for your project...  Minus one.