Win!!! Featherweight found at Antique Mall
 

So, we're on our way to Calgary to visit my aunt. On the way, we stopped at an antique mall. As we were turning to leave, I looked up, way above my head (not a direction that's natural for me, I'm pretty short. ;) ), and spotted a FW case sitting on top of a china cabinet, the hinges looked weird though. DH and I were standing there discussing whether they'd been replaced or not. I noticed though that the rivets looked identical to the lock side, and something was nagging in the back of my mind about the hinges and the box itself. It looked like it was the "wrong" dimensions.

DH pulled it down with difficulty, it was up that high, and as he was pulling it down, I joked that if there was a 222 in there, we were taking it. He held it while I popped the hinges and lifted the lid. It was a genuine Wily coyote double take. I looked in, slammed the lid shut, jaw agape, then opened it again. DH leaned in and verified that it wasn't my eyes going bad.

Nope, definite open arm. I did a basic check on it - wheel turned, albeit a little stiff, bobbincase present, motor runs. It's in seious need of a good tune up, and removal of gunky oil, a belt, and 5 feet. It's in the trunk at the moment, and we're almost in Calgary. No time to play or take a pic yet.

Wow! Good for you! Some day I hope that magic happens to me!

Lucky girl, be sure to post pictures when you get her home :-)

GReat find...where's a picture?!!!

OMG!!! WHAT A SCORE CONGRATS!!!! (doin' a happy dance for you)

Good for you! What luck! Enjoy.

Sweet!!!! Lucky you!!! (and Lucky Machine)

Great find!!! Please post pic when you can!!!!!

A pic puh leese.
good luck with her.

I've had times when I'll walk into an antique shop and immediately I hear the little voice calling my name. Joe ..... Joe .... I'm here don't leave without me. At that point I'm worse than a golden retriever searching out a bird. I won't leave till I find what's calling to me.

You did good spotting that treasure way up high. I'll echo all the others, I'd love to see pics: before and after, when you can do them.

Joe

Good find/ Hooray

Wow! I love those kind of stories! Congrats!

Geeze, what a lucky day you had! To find a FW anywhere reasonably priced is rare now a days - but, to get a free arm! Unbelieveable! Congratulations!

Nancy

Seriously your lucky day - And the 222 is so lucky to have found such a nice caring new home!

she needs a picture and a name....like high flyer or hidden treasure......I am being silly I still call mine 301A and 1630 it is like an R2D2 & C3P0 thing.


always on the lookout for a 222 the only I have seen were at 'Road To California' and the price tag was sorta the year built times two........and they were repainted candy apple red.

Lucky you!!!!

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only nut that hears those little voices....I have stopped my car on a hunch that the shop had what I was looking for.....and that was not the reason for the trip. LOL

Congrats, on the find....it was calling you cuz it knew you would give it a good home!!

Congrats on your find, would likr to have an open arm FW someday

I have to ask - what did your little beauty cost? I'm so happy for you! Bet you were smiling the rest of the way to Calgary.....

That's really a terrific story.... So many little points lined up perfect.... It was meant to be!

Congratulations!!!! I have a 222 that I absolutely adore! Did you get a good bargain on the price too!! Be sure to post pics when you can.

Looking forward to seeing the pictures of your new baby. Congrats on the find!

Yes please show us a picture of your new machine!

Happy for you that it had a nice machine and not an old saw in the case. Waiting to see your new baby.

So,.. she's ready for her close up. The before version at least.

Sorry to be so long gone, 3 pages of replies! Wow! Thanks for all the well wishes for her! We got home early this morning and needed some sleep, then we had someone coming for a sewing cabinet early in the afternoon, and well, here we are, late afternoon already!

She currently has no name. We've been using Archie comics as a theme, but I can definitely make an exception. I'm guessing I'll have to sew with her before she'll whisper it to me.

She's a little ways away from sewing. When I found her, someone had been into the bobbin area, and the dreaded "finger" was misplaced. There's also more movement in the hook area than there should be, so I think something's been put back together improperly. Lastly, the bobbin case looks to be reassembled incorrectly, so the bobbin doesn't fit into it. All things at this point, that I feel like I can fix. She has a little rust in weird places, on the chrome, a few of the screws, the bobbincase and the bobbin winder. All replaceable pieces. I will look at her right after this post and right immediately what I can, and order what I can't. Her body however, is virtually perfect. Goddess-like one could say. Any marks you see are either fingerprints from the liberal and incorrect oiling she had before we met, or just plain dirty. She will sparkle. I know it.

Since some people asked, her adoption fee? Including sales tax: $310. I was literally shaking when we paid for her. I felt a little like I'd just gotten away with robbing a bank! I was so giddy, but still a little shocked that I'd spent that on a machine, but I have a 222! I spent the rest of the way to Calgary composing the first post in this thread. We arrived at my aunt's house within minutes of me hitting post. I do admit it though... I may have done the "toddler dance" at least once, after we'd left the store and they couldn't call us back and say we'd made a mistake.

Joe, it was really similar. I was turning around, looking for something in the corner of my eye, like I was missing something important. Perhaps she hadn't raised her voice yet before I spotted her, only the softest whispers.

So, without further adieu.... I give you the lady currently unnamed:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]386336[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]386346[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]386337[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]386339[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]386341[/ATTACH]

You have a real talent for writing Tammi.... I felt all the tension as if I was right there with you...lol.
She's absolutely gorgeous and many "high fives" to you!

Love your 222 , Tammi. Wish I could find one. My brother just got a white 221, but I haven't seen it yet. Although I had to get him a bobbin case for it. I guess someone took it out. Your letter got me so excited for you. ENJOY.
<<<Eva>>>

As somone fairly new to both the QB and quilting, and especially vintage machines what is an open arm 222? What is the difference between the 221 and the 222? Thanks.
Now proud owner of a 221.
Judy

Beautiful machine. I love my 222 but I usually leave it in my travel trailer and only use it in the summer when we are camping at electricity supplied campsites. So fun to set it out on the picnic table and sew. Great price, even here in Canada. Have you had a chance to get a birthdate for her yet?

JBeamer---differences in 221 and 222, first is the free-arm on the 222, and being able to drop the feed dogs on the 222. 222's were more widely distributed in the UK, Canada and Australia, possibly because of patents on the free arm in the USA and were manufactured in Canada and Scotland, not the USA.

Thanks ewecansew.

Thank you so much! :) The only thing I did purposely in my story telling was to not mention it was a 222 in the title. I figured springing that surprise was almost as good as being there. :)

I spent the evening resolving all of her little issues. She turns beautifully now and sews a lovely stitch, just like I knew she could. I changed the belt. It was the hook that was turning too much, so her timing was off. (when I "tested" her at the shop, I removed the needle and let her try to run. I figured if there was a timing problem, I didn't need to slam the needle into anything, and knew I could deal with timing if need be. I'd already seen the finger was out of place. I was so not going to pass her up over a "service" issue.) I fixed that. Disassembled her bobbin case and cleaned it up and reassembled and it works now. Adjusted the tensions top and bottom. She's had 4 of her 5 feet changed, I have one on order. Greased her motor and gears, gave her tons of oil. (I wouldn't normally do that, but she was turning pretty poorly) Then I ran her full out for a couple of minutes, and fine tuned everything and test sewed. All in all, she needed less than $2 in parts because of what I already had here stocked.

Hopefully tomorrow or the next day, I'll get her cleaned up and be able to post her "After" shots.


I've never seen a white 221 in person. I'd love to know what you think of it. I heard once that when people go to places that sewers congregate that it's recommended that you take your bobbin case with you, because some people will take them. I think that's terrible! DH said even if this machine was missing the bobbin case, we would have brought it home anyway. It would just have made her a $350 machine instead. He's a keeper. :)

Now that she's up and running, even still grungy, I love love love her! (even more) She sounds somehow different than the 221s I have, and just purrs.

I couldn't have explained it better than ewecansew. For instance, I didn't know that about the patents. I did read though that there were only something like 2000 of them officially brought to the US, so I get why you guys don't see many of them. Though my understanding was that they were all made in Scotland, and the North American machines were all fitted with 110 volt motors at the St. Jean sur Richelieu plant in Quebec (Canada). Apparently that helped Singer avoid some taxes or import fees as well, since by that time, a sewing machine wasn't complete without a motor.

I totally can't remember where I read / heard all that though.

Either way, they're both great machines. And they like to congregate in herds. Congrats on starting your herd. :)

Oh my!! I'm surprised you leave her out there! I'm guessing you're in the southern part of BC,.. the colder parts wouldn't be very good for her. If I left her in our trailer, she'd be a shivering mass of paint flakes and naked aluminum in no time! I mentioned to DH that maybe as a "cheaper" vacation this year, we could take the trailer out somewhere and just "be" for a bit, rather than our motorcycle trips, or whirlwind trips to the states. (though the thought of hitting a few places for machines and fabric does sound good...) I wonder what he'll think when I bring the FW out and start sewing. ;)

I can't believe I forgot to post her birthday info. I looked it up last night as my aunt was fawning over her.
Her serial number was allocated February 26, 1957. On my aunt's 3rd birthday.

Congrats!!!!

Don't ya just love it when things that happens?

Oh! It's a great feeling to find one, mine was at a Antique flea market that they put on about four times a year at Ky. fairgrounds. We haven't ever found one but my husband ask a dealer if he knew anyone who had one. Well the man said he had a couple, he could bring in the next day-could I come back? Wasn't that about the silliest question you ever heard? I now own a pristine, case and all pieces FW, even the original tube of oil(dried up) for $200!

I do leave her out in the travel trailer. She has weathered just fine--our weather is more like Calgary. We live in north Central BC---south of PG. I would be way more concerned with Vancouver weather--way too wet for me--I don't like webbed feet.
The birthdate for mine is Mar. 14, 1955---EK327124 and my MIL's-now owned by SIL is Mar.2, 1956--EL179751.