Luckily for you, that you were quick thinking and didn't stall in saving your needle.

Yep, gremlins that loosen that screw, they also mess with my embroidery foot, so I really need to keep an ear when I am not sitting and watching! LLDS!

Quick thinking and I think you were very lucky. Well done. Sarah.

You were lucky that it worked out and had a good ending!

good thing you were listening with your sewing machine ear!

Thank God you retrieved the needle before any damage was done. Scary though, wasn't it?
Meri

You are so lucky that it didn't catch on something then break. Amazing how your machines can tell you that things are not right by their sounds.

Glad it turned out ok for you. If I have a design with a lot of stitches that takes a long time to stitch I will check the needle to make sure it doesn't vibrate loose usually a couple of times during the process. Most times during a thread color change. This saves problems. If in the past I would wind up with a hole from a needle break or getting loose I have been able to save by putting a small piece of fabric and stabilizer under the hole, backing up machine to several stitches prior to where the hole occured and restitching. This only works if hole is not real large but if done correctly no one ever knows what happened./Lillian

I had my embroidery foot come off once and it broke the needle when it came down on the foot which landed sideways, apparently the piece I was working on caught on the foot lever and lifted it..
scary & panicky when it happens all of a sudden like that, so I know exactly what you mean!!

It does make your heart stop doesn't it. I had mine come loose a couple of days ago, and at first I panicked thinking I just ruined my machine, then realized the needle was setting on top of the material still. Whew-

Linda, you were very lucky - usually it will break or bend the needle, too.

Scary, surprised it didnt break or bend- nice catch
I can hear it too when machine is out of wack.

Thanks for all your comments - flowers for all. I've never had this happen before. Hopefully never again.

That is the very reason I never leave my machine unattended. For some reason the screw that holds the needle comes loose often.

The tech that fixes my machine said to always give the screw that holds the needle a little turn with a screw driver instead of just finger tightening. Glad you didn't have a problem when you found it.

I have had this happen and broke the needle before I could stop the machine. my arthritic fingers can't always tighten the needle enough. There is no groove for a screw driver on my screw. So I do the best I can.