All the posts about Featherweight Singers made me think about my mother's sewing machine that I acquired about 3 years ago when she passed away. I looked in the "black suitcase" and found the book, original oil can ($.53) and original sales receipt. It is a Featherweight. My dad bought it in 1957 -installment plan - $33 down and $17/mo - total of $134. I don't remember my mother using it but I used it a lot in high school during the early '60s to make my clothes and costumes for high school variety shows. I also made my little sister's flower girl dress for my wedding (we are about 17 years apart!).
But before that, I had a little toy Singer that I used to make doll clothes.
My first purchased Singer -a Slant Needle 404 (think these were made in late '50s-early '60s) - bought from an elderly lady in 1970. Her husband made a nice cabinet for it with a drawer and folding sides. Used it about 4-5 years.
My second purchase (about '74) was a Singer Touch & Sew Model 775 with built in decorative stitches and cams. I loved this machine and it was a work horse!! Used it for more than 30 years to make everything from clothes (myself, 2 sons & ex-dh) to drapes to doing upholstery work. In 1997 I made my first quilt - a double wedding ring for my son and his wife. Why didn't someone tell me this was a difficult pattern?? Jeesh! It took me 6 months to sew all those little pieces!!
Then I bought a Janome Memory Craft 9700 with embroidery about 3 years ago. Now I love this machine!
My first Singer
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My mother's portable Featherweight 221
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My first purchased Singer -Slant Needle 404 from late '50s- early '60s
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Touch & Sew Model 775
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