Thanks for all these comments - I'm feeling very tempted to try to find myself a Featherweight! What would I need to look out for when looking at them - eg accessories that need to be included? It's useful to know that it'd take a regular walking foot.

I would love to try an older machine.
How do they compare to modern machines without a walking foot attachment?
Is there much movement of the top layer of fabric out of sync with the bottom as it sews?
I use a walking foot all the time so I rarely have to pin.[/quote]

They sew just beautifully! The prettiest, straightest stitch you can get. I haven't used a walking foot on mine. I pin, but only a few (ends and middle except for doing borders). I haven't had any issues with the fabric moving too much.

The 222's are harder to find here. And pricey, too! I don't have a Featherweight yet. I am waiting for my mom's 1958. She bought it herself on her secretary pay. $6 a week is what she paid on it. Everyone told her to not waste her money, but she loved to sew and wanted her own machine. That was the same year she met my dad.