Hi all you lovely people, i've been sitting reading loads of posts on here since the holidays as i am about to start on my first machine made quilt, have only ever made one other and that took two years and was completely stitched by hand for my kingsize bed, and as much as i loved doing it i think it was the time that it took that stopped me making any more, so now i have decided to make a machine one and have been reading about all the different machines, i have a lovely Brother machine that was a present some 7 years ago and i don't want to use it for quilting, but i think i would love a Featherweight, my questions are is there a particular one i should be looking for or is there something i should avoid, i've seen white ones, ones dating in the 50's, and even one from the 70's. are they all as good as each other??
I haven't got a lot of cash to spare so am using some that Santa left for me,
I would appreciate any help you kind people can offer, and would love to thank you all for the help and advice you all give, i love reading and learning all about all of you and your interests,
Thank you all so much.

I don't understand why you want a featherweight right now. Featherweights are great for piecing, but a 7yo Brother is likely to be excellent for piecing also. A featherweight would be no better for quilting than a Brother; both have limited space under the arm for the bulk of a quilt. Since your finances are limited right now, I would postpone purchasing a featherweight.

use your Brother sewing machine and when you can save up $ you can buy yourself a featherweight

I think you would be very limited with a FW for all it can do is a straight stitch. A lot of people buy them because they are cute and lightweight for taking to classes. I sure wouldn't buy one just for quilting. I love piecing with my Juki and It is also great for FMQ.

There were no Featherweights made in the 70's unless they were reproductions, and personally I would stay clear of them. Use your Brother, Why purchase another one if you really aren't sure? They are great for taking to classes but, as far as doing my quilting on them they are to small..

Thanks for the replies, i'm just a little worried about using my Brother machine, in case i do it some damage, but i love the look of the Featherweight and to be honest i would love a 'spare' little machine, that i can use in the evening while with my DH and not in the other room away from him, i'll be able to put the blocks together on a small machine and do the larger parts on the Brother, plus i've £100 and have been told that it must be spent on me and something i'd like and wouldn't ordinarily buy. not things for the house and i really can't think of anything else that i need, i know, a lovely situation, but apart from my crafts i haven't really anything else to spend it on. lucky i know.

Well the 100.00 would be a start for one. They run quite a bit more than that.

I don't know what featherweights cost in the UK. In the U.S., they typically run about $300.

Reproduction featherweights are definitely not worth buying. All of the others are simply a matter of personal taste. Some people consider the white and tan machines to be more rare and valuable; however, others prefer the black machines because they have certain characteristics the others don't have.

Aside from being in running condition, the other factor that affects price greatly is cosmetic condition. A featherweight in bad cosmetic condition will sell for half the price of one in good cosmetic condition.

The featherweights with the removable table (model 222 instead of 221) are much more rare and fetch higher prices. One in good cosmetic condition can sell for $2,000 or more.

Is your Brother machine too heavy to move around easily?

Use the Brother. Sewing machines are meant to be used and quilting is not hard on the machine. The worst thing you can do for a sewing is let it set unused, especially if it was oiled just prior. My Elna has done nearly 40 years of everything from silk organza to a fire retardant racing suit. It still says 'bring it on'.

If you are in the UK contact Graham Forsdyke. He is the man when it comes to featherweights. His email is
[email protected] He'll get you set up. Get what you want; life only comes around 1 time!

I agree with those who have suggested to use your Brother. You're familiar with it. You may need to consult the manual on how best to set it for a darning or freemotion quilting setting, but for piecing and stitch in the ditch or straight line quilting, it will handle that with ease.
For your own ease, try to stick with a thinner (flatter) cotton batting rather than a fluffy polyester. It won't shift as much and will fit under your needle easier.

My DH and I collect antique and vintage sewing machines, mostly Singers. I just love my little featherweight. Right now I am sewing on a 1950 and I love it. It is not cosmetically great because someone took an engraving tool and put a phone number in 1" letters in 3 places on the machine. However, we got it very reasonable and it sews like a charm. One thing I have noticed when viewing E-Bay. Vintage and antique sewing machines in the UK are generally in better physical condition than many in the US. I do FMQ with my Featherweight on smaller projects and it does a fine job. They also have attachments such as buttonholer, a zigzag attachment and several other attachments. In MHO, the fancier the machine, the more can go wrong with it. I have a fancy Janome Embroidery machine that I do fancy sewing with. But, for the basics, I love my Featherweight. Not sure what 100 pounds is worth in the UK but know it is more than $100. I would just look around, check with others and make your own decision. Good luck.

Unless you've got your heart set on a featherweight another option might be a Singer 301. They're known as the featherweight's big sister. Not quite as cute as a FW and I bit bigger but a real work horse and less expensive.

Actually that would be my choice if I wanted a real workhorse...

I have my mothers featherweight and love it. It is limited to the straight stitch so you can't do a lot with it. I take it to workshops and have pieced a few quilts with it. I would suggest you use the Brother's for now and spend the money on fabric and thread. When you can afford to play with your money then look for a Featherweight if you are still interested in them.

I have a 301 also and it is a great machine. It is a little heavier than the Featherweight but a great machine.

I prefer the 301. You can do more with it since it has the ability to drop the feed dog and since it's gear driven, it's more powerful. Only slightly heavier and just as pretty!

My 301 is 19 pounds, my featherweight is 11 pounds. When I do FMQ with the featherweight I just loosen the pressure foot pressure with the top screw and it works well. I do sew on my 301 from time to time and must say it is a nice machine but I love sewing on my featherweight. One big advantage the 301 has is that it is generally much cheaper to purchase. Good luck in whatever machine you choose. In MHO, the older Singers have a lot less problems than the newer ones.