I was cleaning my sewing machine last night while working on a kilted skirt for my wife. I took the little plate off to clean the feed dogs and noticed it was a little rough. I took a close look, and realized that there were several spots where the needle had actually put holes into the plate!

I knew that the plate had got hit a few times from the fabric moving at the wrong time, etc., because of broken needles. But to actually put holes in that plate? Yikes. I'm going to be extra careful never to get my fingers under that needle from now on. (Not like I wasn't careful before, but, well, y'know.)