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While I miss all the features on my bigger machines, I always take my Featherweight because it is so much lighter to carry around. I have a couple of friends who have low end Janomes and they like them a lot. That way, you get a lighter machine but also things like automatic stitches and thread cutter, etc.

Viking has a small travel machine 100q. I love this little machine. It has a few extra stitches , needle up/down, needle threader....I really enjoy sewing on this one. Deb

I have a Janome that cost $49 at Hancock's weighs 4 lbs and I can lift with 2 fingers. I have a bad back and could not take my Singer or Bernina. This does great for classes.

I have a small brother sewing/embroidery machine. It weight seven pounds. The cover is a table when in use. LOVE IT

Oh No, go for a Janome 3160 or 4120. Both are excellent little workhorses and they both come with cutters! Turned in a 1 year old Jem just to get the cutter.
Good Luck

featherweight Blues

I have a featherweight. A great reputation but I also have a buyer beware!

I purchased mine off ebay and as soon as it arrived had to have it serviced and spend money on it for a broken part we didn't know about. Then my dgd broke the needle,:( more money out of the pocket as the alignment was off, forgetting it had had a broken needle, I took it to my first real quilt retreat and she wouldn't sew! Not the poor FW problem, but I spent the first day trying to get it to work. A friend had pity on me and loaned me her machine as she was in the handwork stages of her project.
I took her to class locally for a few times and really realized I missed my needle up/down, etc so I thought I would clean her up and sell her.:thumbup: I was doing a great job when I couldn't get a certain part removed to clean it so I asked hubby to remove the item for me, long story short, he broke a Vital part and I had to send to England for a gently used part that a very nice man shipped to us who does that for a living...........so now, I probably have a $750++++ machine that I will never get my money out of!
:mad:

I hope I have not stepped on anyones toes about their Featherwts, this is just what happened to me, and I know many ladies that absolutely LOVE their machines.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nanny's dollface (Post 6319110)

I will check out the brother machines. I am a bit concerned no let's say I have no knowledge of featherweights. I see pictures posted on the board of vintage singer sewing machines and wonder if those are the featherweights ?
Some are very pretty and some look as though they need to see an electrician and a degree in engineering when it comes to threading, winding the bobbin , and setting the tensions.

OOps, I didn't answer the question posted........I take my Babylock Elizabeth, she doesn't weigh that much and does all those extra things I've grown accustom to having, needle up/down, leg lift, etc, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belfrybat (Post 6321725)

I have a featherweight and love her. But for versatility, I really like the Brother cs6000i I purchased from Amazon for $139.00. Although I usually do mainly straight stitching there are times when having a zigzag or serpentine stitch is nice, and I love the needle down feature when doing something complicated. I use both of them equally. I think if I could only have one, I'd go with the Brother. BTW, I use both several times a week since I often piece quilts while watching videos, and they fit on a small TV type table.

Another vote here for Brother cs6000i! Hubby got it for me at Walmart at least 7 years ago. You can get on Amazon also. Do a search here on QB, online and an Amazon and read the reveiws. If you don't want to spend much and want light weight, I recommend it. Lots of nice features for the money.

I just bought a Pfaff Passport to carry back and forth to quilting class. I really like it and I can handle it easily. If you have a Pfaff dealer in your area, you might want to try one out.

My choice is a Brother CS6000i. It's $149 at Walmart. My daughter loved mine so well she bought one.

In Canada you cannot buy a FW for $100, and her question is regarding an AFFORDABLE light weight machine.

Featherweight all the way. Don't have to worry about anything getting busted. They work and they have a nice stitch. That and its fun to get all the ladies coming over to look at it and compliment you on your machine. It just feels good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redsquirrel (Post 6323629)

And I found mine in Calgary for $50 at a thriftstore. I've seen them for as low as $150 on Kijiji.

I have a Janome Memory Craft 3500 which is a little too heavy to travel with, so bought a Janome Gem (the shop I purchased it from called it a 3/4 machine) which has been fantastic as I discovered that everything is interchangeable with the 3500 including the power cord and the foot control which was handy when a wire broken in the 3500 foot control I just used the Gem control until I had the 3500 control repaired. I have also found the Gem to be very good in teaching young people to sew as it has a speed control which they love when they are first learning.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lswan (Post 6321715)

Check out the Kenmore 1040, it was made in the 70s. It is small, has a cute white case, but is very powerful. The advantage, it has a zig zag. I got mine on eBay, cleaned it and it is just terrific, all metal construction inside and out. Do not buy new plastic, they will loosen and not do decent straight stitch, they can't due to the plastic guts. I paid $100 for my, as we call it, Ketherweight. The Featherweights are good, just more expensive. I have tuned a fair number of them.

I did a lot of research before buying my "travel" machine, and I did the same thing: bought a Kenmore 1040 on ebay. I don't remember what I paid for it, but this Kenmore "featherweight" was a much better value than a Singer Featherweight, imho. It has the zigzag stitches, a much stronger motor, and doesn't cost nearly what the Singer Featherweight does. It's a bit heavier machine, so you don't have to chase it all over the tabletop while in use. And I just love how the attachments box flips to become a small table surface! It also has a small flip up side surface. Love, love, love it! It's an adorable workhorse. Check one out.

I have the Janome Gem Gold and it is a great little machine for classes but has a very limited number of stitches. I am going to upgrade soon to the Pfaff Passport, though that's not in your stated price range. A lightweight machine for travel is a must!