Quiltingboard Forums

The first sewing machine I ever sewed on was my grandmother's 221 (featherweight) It was hard. It kept breaking. It had only one good feature. I could lift it. I was eight. My mother had it. She didn't sew, ..she didn't oil and she didn't grease. It went away when Mom died. I don't know where. In between the meantime,..husband developed an interest in quilting. (He also weaves and spins). And he wanted a machine to take back and forth between our two locations....He didn't like the 15-91 Singer stuck in the knee press that I had invested in. But the guy who said he sell him one also said he had 4 machines and he had to buy ALL of them...3 featherweights and a 15-91. But all had something wrong with them...and so he bought them...all. Unfortunately, he is not handy and I am.....so.... Anyway, I have to admit I love the things. And yes, give me an adjusters manual and a service manual and, well, I can usually figure it out. I am a potter and think three dimensionally....can even put together an IKEA big bed...with no parts left. It was 14 hours. big pieces, but well..I'm still married. I now have about 20 antique machines,including 4 treadles, what I really wanted but can't seem to operate even though I used a kick wheel for years. After I restored my 115, and a half hour of frustration, my husband jumped on and had it going smooth as glass in 5 minutes. What I most enjoy is taking the featherweights, and will now add my two 301s and a couple of 99ks to church or (in one case a quilting fare) and letting people play with them....especially kids. NO FEAR...if you jam it, I'll fix it. These things are just plain cool and, though I am still very much in a learning mode, I'll be glad to help out with techy questions where I can and would sure appreciate help from those who "been there, done that" before. Also, I admit that I'll be haunting your pages to find good gift prospects for husband..books, materials etc.