Originally Posted by
cindynvb
Thank-you for your replies. Sorry about not being complete in how I sew. I'm a quilter ... sounds like I don't really need a 301 since I have a featherweight.
With all due respect, as someone who quilts and uses both the Singer 301 and the Singer Featherweight 221, plus other machines, I cannot agree with this statement! Both of these machines give good stitches. Both are reliable machines. Both are well engineered. As a quilter, I know the 221 Featherweight gives me superior precision because of the feed system. When I need very precise piecing, that's my machine. But if I need good precision, good gear-driven punching power, outstanding free motion quilting, and very good straight-line quilting, the Singer 301 is my choice - and I have many machines from which to choose. The Featherweight is at the bottom of my list for free-motion quilting and I'm not all that impressed with it's straight-line quilting. It cannot handle the heavier quilts the 301 can, in my experience. The 221 is belt driven whereas the 301 is gear driven and thus more powerful. (I have two Featherweights and two 301s.) I've done quite a bit of research on the best machines for quilting and have made over 400 quilts on various machines, so I think I have a good basis for comparison. I have literally tested more than 100 machines.
I do have a Singer 401, which I love especially for sewing clothing, and a Singer 99. Neither are go-to machines for quilting, but the 99 is good for paper piecing. The Singer 401 does have an advantage of being able to straight-line quilt with decorative stitches and without a walking foot, and through heavier quilts.
So, in case you haven't guessed, I am recommending the machine that quilters have been flocking to for the past five years or more: The Singer 301.
Cricket