Funny, I went into the sewing machine shop today to pick up my order and what do you think walked through the door? A lady struggling with sewing machine. The young clerk ran to her assistance. Heaved it up on the counter and said "they call it a featherweight but its really a heavy weight" I too was unsure what exactly a featherwieght was and looked like. So I asked and she showed me the markings and what to look for besides its small size and heavy load. It looked so dainty so light,so pretty but was like lifting a baby elephant. Dont think I would want one to pack back and forth to a sewing class.