Message Boards

My featherweight arrived today - my daughter couldn't use it to sew leather (really???) and I offered to buy it.
It looks really nice, the gold is all intact, and I have a bunch of bobbins, no attachments. I have oiled it. I tried to thread it - no book - so I am having some trouble, the thread is breaking after the first few stitches. she may need a trip to the doc, but is really nice and clean and pretty much dust free .. looks like it's been sitting in it's case underfoot somewhere.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: City/Sandie,

Hi

Singer manuals are often available free on the Internet. Here's a link to a Featherweight 221 if that would help.

http://www.singer-featherweigh...twopages/singfea.pdf

Mary Ellen

One more thought..

One gotcha about the 221 is that the needle needs to be inserted with the flat side facing the left, not facing the sewist. Also, you must insert the thread from the right-hand-side of the needle.

If your 221 is having trouble picking up the bobbin thread or is knotting up, check your needle and thread position.

Mary Ellen

http://www.sewusa.com/Threadin...hreading_diagram.htm

Thanks for the tips .... yes I need all the help I can get

Priscilla sure is a beauty. You're going to have fun with her. I have never had a Featherweight but have had 2 Singers in my live & loved both of them.

Me again - I just read that manual - that is really cool .... and of course I bookmarked it
thanks again.

PRISCILLE Iis a beauty!

I would suggest printing out the pages that show the oil locations. I still can't remember all those spots after ov a year.

My 221 was used to sew for tourist on the beach. After DH cleaned out the grit he or I would oil EVERY spot after about two to three of sewing. (WAY more than is normally needed, but after about a month of constant oiling and a needle change she runs GREAT)

DJBrown - how fun to have some history on your machine ... everyone says they run and run and run .. I'm planning to use mine, not just have it for decoration! Thanks for the oiling tip .. I'll copy those pages.

Congratulations on your new baby Pricilla.

I wish you many years of happy sewing adventures.

She is beautiful!!!

Be sure to download the manual. I helped SIL thread her Miss Mae according to my old 1952 Singer (NOT a Featherweight). Wrong. While she continued cleaning and rethreading, I found the online manual and hollered at her with the correct needle insertion and threading while the manual was printing.

Actually, there's just not much that you can't do! So after reading the manual, oiling and greasing as recommended, correct needle insertion and threading. I think you will find that Priscilla does not have to go to the hospital.

I noticed the blue around the medallion. Is Priscilla the Centennial edition? 1851 - 1951? That's what SILs Miss Mae is.

Welcome Priscilla!

Well welcome miss Priss!!!She's a beauty!!!

.. Centennial? I don't know anything much .. but appreciate hearing about things to look for.

Well...hello, Priscilla. Welcome to your new home! Congratulations, Sandie.

Look at the medallion on the front. What does it say? Anything about Centennial and 1851 - 1951?

I bought a book on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Featherw...s=featherweight+book

Lots of good information, trouble shooting, even the manual is printed inside. Very, very informative.

Miss Priscilla couldn't have found a better home. Sandy, enjoy!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Happy Erme,

I have duplicate feet! well not me, but my "Lucy" does. would you like them? send me a PM and I'll send them off to you.
Jen

She's a beauty - have fun with her

Britgal I sent a pm.. thank you
Keep ... yes it has that blue centennial thing on it ...
I took her with me today to the shop where we have our friendship group, and could not get the top thread to pick up the bobbin thread, i pulled out the bobbin and peered around and found a piece of linty thread was inside the case .. picked it out but still had issues, still not picking up the stitches ... waaa .. I am going to read again that free info provided by mergo1 and see if I am threading it wrong ...
I'm like a kid with a new toy

When I first got my "Baby", the thread kept breaking on it too. After reading the manual, it said to make sure the "finger" is straight up on the bobbin case(sort of a slot there). I'm probably not saying it right, but it should be in the manual; just check where it talks about the bobbin case.

Sash your baby is beautiful ... wow.
Thanks to the on-line manual and the helps from you gals, i got the bobbin case jiggy back up in that notch in the throat plate, changed out the needle again... and kept moving the tension per the pictures and I'm at 2 and getting a good stitch woohooooo... now I just need to PLAY some more.. I think I am going to like this... it's not a featherweight when it comes to pounds! But it doesn't move neither!

Cool Sandie!
Singer made a few different commemorative machines for different fairs, etc.

I bought a darning/free motion foot, but haven't got my machine and foot to play nice together yet. It's going to take more practice...

Keep you in stitches.. about that darning foot - did you watch the Leah Day video on altering it? I took examples of my NEW skill set to show off at guild after altering that foot and got the expected wows ... I used it on my Kenmmore, havn'et tried yet on any other machine. Love it.
Are you trying to use that foot with the featherweight? I just got mine to sticth right I'm not ready to try experimenting yet
The centennial thing on my FW is for Singers centennial .. 1851 - 1951 ... probably NOT a rare edition at all. I'll bet they made and sold a kazillion of them which might be why some still exist in working condition.

... my Featherweight book has been shipped by amazon.com and should be here on the 2nd. I don't know yet where to get motor grease or a bulb, but that shouldn't be too hard.

Congrats on the new toy... Chris

Dear PRISCILLA,

Please be nice to your Momma. She is gonna love you and take great care of you. You will not be neglected and put away.

She needs you to do your best for her, to help her create new and exciting things for her and others.

Enjoy your great new home along with your other siblings!

Happy Stitching!

YOU WILL NOT believe what happened today - neighbor of almost 6 years came over to see Priscilla and said, I have one of those ... !!!! WHAT??? Someone gave it to them ... of course I was stunned since they DO NOT sew and know I do - I asked if it was for sale. Wouldn't that be a hoot if I ended up with 2 of them after waiting years to get one!?!

Beautiful machine Sandi, so glad you got it & will give it a good home. I love the name too. If the neighbour was given the machine she might let it go cheaply. Let me know if she decides she wants it gone.

oh how sweet for you to name her after my first cat!! Oops, nope. her name was Purrscilla!

Thank you Lens .... I have been sewing 2" squares together of Christmas fabric while standing at my cutting table ... I had them in a cookie tin from some years back, probably back when we did the Christmas strings swaps - I had at some time sewn some of them, and the rest are now getting done ... talk about a UFO!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: City/Sandie,

Go to Amazon.com and look for Singer lubricant. It's in a tube. I was able to find Singer oil at Hobby Lobby, but not the grease.

Shirley Anne makes a beautiful straight stitch. I've been doing some piecing and even quilted a baby quilt in diagonal lines with it...and hemmed the binding too. Great job. The free motion quilting isn't working yet...just trying it on little quilt sandwiches.

....How Funny Sherry - going to Amazon ... I ordered 2 books thurs night - 1 is the Featherweight book, they came individually - today. I didn't even think to check there for the lubricant! Thanks for the top = and don't giv eup o n the FM .. go slow, and make sure the foot is gliding just on top of the fabric...

Sandie, I know how you feel with a new machine. Mine is not a FW but be ever so careful because you will want just one more machine and then another, and another. Just wish I had more room. ENJOY

...aaah Margie - how well you know the woman quilters spirit .. but just one more won't take much room .. isn't that how our STASHES get so varied and colorful and sometimes apparently useless? Can you believe that just after a few days with Priscilla I am almost coveting the one I didn't even know existed right next door?

HUM you also have VERY DEAR FRIENDS with no featherweight.Remember it says thou shall not covent to many featherweights

Sherry, a question for you. Does the FW take a slanted needle attachment? I found a buttonholer the other day and am thinking from looking at it that it is for a slant needle. Won't fit on my Singer 15-91

This is the one it is

http://www.etsy.com/listing/93...g-machine-buttonhole

I don't know...something to research.

My buttonholer is similar (if not identical) to this one for $9.99 with free shipping:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintag...&hash=item19d2a747d3

Okay - made the looong trip to the sewing room. My buttonholer is No. 160506. It came with DGMs 1952 electric Singer in a cabinet - Model 66-18. DGM preferred a treadle so DM bought the '52 from her. It was given to me when I married. I have two buttonholers as DM found one at a garage sale. We were using the old machine for all buttonholes we needed. I made a sample buttonhole on Shirley Anne. BEAUTIFUL, of course!

These machines do not look to be slanted needle. They are, however, low shank.

OK Sherry, I just got the magnifying glass out and went over this one (was looking for a number) and found just above where it fastens onto the machine the word "straight". Guess this is for a low shank machine. Thanks for your trouble, I've got a lot to learn I think. Do you belong to the "Quilting Board"? They have pages and pages of stuff on vintage machines.

.....I'm taking notes, ladies .. now what/where is this "Quilting Board" you mention?

Sandie here is the web page for the home page that has a lot of stuff listed. You need to sign up for it but it is free.

www.quiltingboard.com/forum.php

This is the page I go to most of the time. Just a hint DO NOT try to go thru all the pages just go to the last page. You can always catch up later if you are brave enough!

www.quiltingboard.com/vintage-...it-spell-t43881.html

I hope these work but you will probably need to join first. There is a LOT of info on here. If you have a problem PM me and I will try to help. Let me know if you make it into it.

Yes, I am a member, but do not frequent it very often. I've had several visitors from the quiltingboard looking at my French Braid tutorial. The link has been posted several times...very complimentary!

You can read the posts, just not comment without signing up.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: KeepYouInStitches,

Hi - I found this blog tonight - it might help someone ..
http://singerfeatherweight221....-attachments_19.html

.. now I need to figure out how to use the 6 new feet sent to me!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: City/Sandie,

That blog's one I've bookmarked myself in researching these machines.

Here's some more sites I've saved for help knowing what to look for.

http://www.ismacs.net/home.html Can sign up for daily digest...serious sewing machine collectors...resources for all kinds of old machines.

http://www.april1930s.com/

http://sewingmachine221sale.bi...com/store/index.html