Singer "Featherweight" Sewing Machines

[launderess]

"I've been watching them on and off for a few years but as stated they are priced like they are gold."

Often what you see with Singer "featherweight" sewing machines is professional dealers and aficionados bidding up machines.

They buy machines, fix and clean them up, then mark up and sell them on. Because they are a business much of the costs including purchase prices can be deducted as an expense.

If one truly wants a Singer "featherweight" fleaPay or similar places may not be best place to go. Check estate sales, charity shops, private sellers, etc.. Sometimes you can find them going for very little money on CL, FB or places like that. Not everyone who has a Featherweight is seeking to get rich.

Best of course are those who don't know what they've got and will sell that "old sewing machine" for very little money.

 

[askolover]

My mother used to have her grandmother's singer treadle machine but she let a junk dealer have it back in the 80's. I told her I'd give anything to have it now because i do a majority of my sewing on a treadle. Currently have a Pfaff 130 in my treadle stand. The electric motor works fine but i took the belt off it and put a treadle belt on. Works like a dream and has zigzag. My favorite straight stitch machine is a Japanese class 15 clone. That thing is so well balanced it will keep turning on its own with just a light flick of the wrist.

 

[ea56]

What a genius idea Greg! I never would have thought to put an electric sewing machine into a treadle machine cabinet and disconnect the electric motor belt and connect the treadle belt!

Of course this will only work with electric sewing machines that have connecting brackets of the same size and width apart as the treadle cabinet. Most of the newer all plastic sewing machines would work for this set up. But most of the older all metal sewing machines will work with this work around.

Now you have the best of old and new, being able to use zig zag and reverse.

Eddie

 

[rickc]

Launderess

The sewing machine in that video is a Singer 201. Supposedly the finest sewing machine Singer ever made.

And about the Featherweight -- I was being given one, and they put it in their driveway about 15 minutes before I arrived. It was gone by the time I got there. Unbelievably, someone driving (or walking) by just saw it and took it.

 

[launderess]

Aside from portability and cute factor depending upon what one wants said sewing machine for there are better options than Featherweight.

For one thing the harp area for Featherweight machines isn't that great. Thus doing certain items and or if one has large hands it can be a challenge. This also because where light is mounted people can hit their hands against a somewhat hot bulb.

Thing that puts one off a Featherweight initially is bobbin being located underneath
machine. Am spoiled by my Pfaff, Bernina and Elna machines having either drop in bobbins or accessible from front. If bobbin thread runs out during a project with Featherweight (IIRC) one has to tip entire machine over to swap out bobbin.

Piercing power of Featherweights is good, but not strong as say 201 and other Singer machines. Maybe not a big deal depending upon what one routinely sews.

 

[combo52]

Singer, featherweight, sewing machine

The bobbin can be underneath because the machine is so light and easy to move to reload.

And they invented LED lightbulbs so people would not burn themselves on the lightbulb in the featherweight sewing machine.

John

 

[lotsosudz]

Featherweights

My mother bought one new in 1951 for a $100. She had to make payments of $6. a month, which strapped them, until it was paid off. she sewed and mended everything known to mankind, on that machine. We bought her another machine later on for doing zigzag and buttonholes, but she used her 'baby' for straight stitching. It did have a perfect stitch, and never faltered no matter what. It would also glide right over pins, unlike the Kenmore we bought her, which would hit the pins and break the needle almost every time.
Hugs,
David

 

[stan]

I believe

There’s a attachment for seeing a zig zag on straight stitch Singer’s

 

[askolover]

You are correct Stan.

 

[qsd-dan]

There's a zig zag attachment (Part# 160990) <span style="font-size: 12pt;">that fits Featherwieght machines as well as and all other lower shank models (15, 66, 99, 101, 127, 185, 192, 201).</span>

 

[stan]

Don’t know if this relates to a Singer featherweight

But I decided to look into the two wooden boxes that have sat in the drawers of my old singer.
I dont see anything that looks like a zig zag attachment..I have a button hole attachment (not shown)
But all the rest of this looks like mini mid evil torture devices?
Don’t know what they’re for?

 

[askolover]