I was flying once with someone when it was IFR and most of the instruments decided to take a vacation. The pilot very calmly pulled the piece of gum out of his mouth, and a small ball with a string from his pocket, and stuck it to the top of the dash where it could hang free. His theory was if the ball was hanging toward the ceiling we were upside down, all the way to the right, we were in a tight right turn, hitting us in the face in a steep climb,(you get the theory).
Anyways he told atc that his instruments had failed and needed to descend down to VFR below the clouds. The descent was uneventful (I think that he had done this before).
Now you understand why I'm a controller and not a pilot, I can't chew gum and fly at the same time.
Mike
NATCA A80