ThayerRags

The second machine that I got is my maternal Grandmother’s Singer 404 portable with snap-on case and folding table. I agree with you, they’re little workhorses! I sewed together a canvas store bag with it to carry a couple of bank bags, the “want list” spiral pad, and a few other odds and ends back and forth to the shop. That was back in 2006, and the canvas bag is still going strong, although the handles are getting worn from hanging it on a coat hook in the back of the shop. The 404 is still going strong, but not used much lately. My wife took it to quilt class a couple of times before we found her a FW.

You may want to take a second look at that 301 for quilting. My wife fell in love with my LBOW Singer 301A and now claims it for her main quilt-piecing and quilting machine at home. She has it mounted in her largest cabinet and does FMQ with it. I have a couple of black 301s (a longbed and a shortbed) stashed up in the attic at the shop, but I haven’t ever gotten them serviced up for use. My wife doesn’t like climbing the ladder/stairway to the attic, so I think they’re safe up there from her or anyone else. There’s a couple of 404 parts machines up there keeping them company amongst other aluminum parts machines. I keep several of my aluminum parts machines up there because they’re not quite as heavy to tote up there as the cast iron ones are. I don’t have a dumbwaiter and have to wrestle them up and down the ladder/stairs by hand.

CD in Oklahoma