Creativenonfiction #47 - My Experience With A Sewing Needle

As a fashion designer, working with needles is something I have been so accustomed to as I get to use it in my life of work.

Needles are very useful for sewing and they also vary in sizes. They can be used to hem clothes, stitch buttons into clothes and so on, and of course, the machine needles itself used for sewing clothes. The funny thing is that as small yet important as it is, I have heard some myths about it.

One of the myths I heard about the needle when I was still an apprentice is that, when sewing on the machine or probably making use of needles and it pricks your fingers, then it's a sign you are understanding what you're being taught and on the way to becoming a professional yourself.

I didn't believe it of course because superstitious beliefs aren't my thing. But I could recall the day it did happen, I was at the fashion center where I was learning and that day I was sewing a customer's cloth and I can't tell if it's because I am engrossed in the music I was listening to (for I was wearing a Bluetooth device while sewing) because the next thing I knew is my finger getting pricked by the machine needle.

All of a sudden, I felt the pain "Ahhhhh", I screamed, which drew everybody's attention to me and we all saw that the sewing needle had pricked my index finger drawing just a small blood. My fashion teacher adjusted the machine and I was able to free my finger. I washed my hands and she added a tiny drop of machine oil on my finger and congratulated me on being on my way to becoming a professional 😃😃.

Though I didn't believe it, I couldn't help but feel a bit of pride. I knew I was already mastering the skill initially which is the reason why I was allowed to handle a customer's clothes. So I wouldn't say I agree that the needle had anything to do with it. Rather, it is my steadfastness and dedication into learning the skill. After that day It happened again another day and though there was no blood this time around and moreover I wasn't distracted as the first time.

The shocking part of it was the day I did my graduation from the fashion school, It is customary to have your fashion teacher pray for you and she in turn will invite other fashion teachers in the same community to attend and they would all pray for the person graduating. I remembered the moment the person leading the prayer wore hand gloves and held a new machine needle.

I was intrigued as what was going to happen when she asked me to bring my thumb. I was wondering when she suddenly turned into a nurse when she used the needle to prick my thumb while praying that I would have lots of customers bringing in their fabrics for me to sew to the extent that I would constantly use a needle.

It was bizzare yet very funny. If someone had told me they do that during graduation ceremony I wouldn't have believed them people but since it happened to me, I know that it does happens.

Thank you for reading.

All Images used are mine.