Well, I am probably jumping in before I should.... but since "Santa" came home with a featherweight today :-) :-) :-) I would like to ask a question - I have my Mom's Singer buttonholer - the one that comes in the green clamshell shaped box and I am wondering if it will fit my new baby...when she arrives Christmas morning that is! LOL

Joann

Dont know if this is considered a featherweight or not but I bought a singer 201 in a very nice cabinet for $30.00 at an auction last week.

It's not a Featherweight, but wow, nice price. A lot of vintage Singer people really speak well of the 201. I'd love to find one......Do enjoy it!

The model numbers for Featherweights are 221 and 222, with the latter being the free-arm model. There are also some letters after some of the model numbers for some of the later coloured Featherweights I understand.

My mom used her Singer buttonholer on her FW. I have both now, but really no use for the buttonholer. She had a green clamshell case that matches the green and white FW case. then she filled it with those metal peanut shaped things that actually make the holes. She stored the rest of them in her sewing box. Seemed like she had 20 or 30 of them. I didn't realize there were that many different buttonholes to make!

I Have Joined the Featherweight Club
 

I got one! I got one!
 

I met the guy from CL today, to check out his grandmother's Featherweight. It's in really good shape, and after I pulled a pound of lint from her feed dogs and unwound the mess around her bobbin, she purrs nicely (especially with a big drink of oil!) and miraculously, the case smells of...nothing. Apparently it's been in Grandma's closet for the last 20 or 25 years. She died this past spring, and now they're breaking up her household. (The guy's house was chock *full* of gorgeous antiques from his grandmother!) I meant to ask what her name was, but will when I email him this evening.

It came with stuff-a zipper foot, the lint brush, three screw drivers, needles marked "Made in Belgium" and "Made in Japan", the manual, a couple of bobbins. Her serial number is AF882620, which makes her birthday April 1941 according to the chart I found.

I have some questions. I'd like to do most or all of the cleanup myself, but don't want to do damage. Is the tension on this something I can take off to polish and put back on myself, without cussing like a sailor and wishing I'd let someone else do it? Also, in the third picture down--after I cleaned her up gently--you can very clearly see the edge of something on the surface, in the center, and I can feel it. Is that the finish, and I should leave it alone, or is that more of the (I'm assuming) tar that was on the face plate, and I should work on getting it off?

Anybody got a good source for the feet that go on the base of the machine? One has been sat in something that completely ate the rubber. Also, I need a new handle for the case, if such a thing exits. The current one is being held on by about a mile of 30 year old masking tape, and I can see it fraying on the weight-bearing end.

On to the more important part-pictures!

eta: Dunno why their out of the order I posted them in, but they are. 1, 2, 6 &7 are befores; 3 is after her bath.

I have something to share...

Yesterday I bought a 221 from a friend I met at guild. I couldn't find the serial number, as I was looking for a metal tag at the bottom of the pillar. Silly me! It was on the bottom of the machine! She is in great condition. All decals are intact. After checking the serial number chart, I find she is a sister to your new machine, MrsBoats. I was surprised to find the belt is leather! She needs a cleaning and some exercise. She has been sitting on a shelf for 20 years.

Finally broke down and went and got me my feather weight. Broke me but I'm happy. Gypsy was born in 1941 and is in wonderful condition with case and attachments. The man who I bought her from said she was a 1938 but according to the numbers she is a 1941.

Hi My name is irishjan13 and I got my 221 about a yr or so ago and I had her cleaned up and oiled and used it t time and I also got thread in the bobbin case and she froze. but thanks to your post - I now know what to try to get it out= I will let you know how I do - I really want to use her. My location is North Olmsted, Ohio- best location in the nation

Introducing Verna
 

I bought this FW on eBay about a month ago. She was born in 1958 and I'm naming her Verna, after my Great-Aunt who taught me how to sew when I was 8. Verna went straight from the post office to the Sewing Machine Hospital, where she underwent elective surgery to replace her belt and the wiring to the plug. She was also cleaned and oiled, got a new 1/4" foot, and 5 new metal bobbins. The only thing I don't like is the band-aid that the Sewing Machine Hospital stuck on the front of her (see pics below).

I sewed a stack of chain-piecing on her last night, and I am *so* impressed with her. I can't believe what a joy it is to sew on her. I also have a Janomoe 4100 QDC that I bought 2 years ago, which I love, but this FW has a much different feel. It feels more solid, and it feels like she knows what she's doing. She's also little and toy-like, which makes her very cute. (But then, all you FW owners out there know that already!) It didn't come with many accessories - only the buttonholer (like I'm ever going to use that - not!) and two feet. But the gold is intact and now that she's shined up, she's gorgeous. (Me feels the start of a horribly expensive collection is in the making...!) Good thing I have no DH to talk some sense into me. :-) I never even considered getting one until I started reading this board - so thanks for getting me hooked!