Table for Singer Featherweight~~~Question
 

Please someone help me to know how to find info on this.
Billy or anyone who can help me.
I found an antique base to a treadle mach this morning.
I have a featherweight table that I would like to remove the legs from and attach to this treadle base o use for me featherweight .
My table has the FW label on the back
is quite old but there is no opening cutout to drop machine in
I have tried to research this table to see if it has value before I do anything to it. I have not had much luck.
I have never seen one without the opening surface on Ebay ither.
Any help would be appreciated.

Dreamer...
if it is the real FW table...it is pretty valuble.
In the back of the quilt mags, there is a man that makes reproduction FW tables...he is from the Midwest...and is very knowedgeable about everything FW. Has a very old fashion name. I would try to contact him before doing anything.
Otherwise go to a forum for FW's. Someone on there would know what's what.

found it...Jean S. Lyle in Quincy, IL...
He and wife are experts...website...jslyle.com

Susie I don't have a magazine and I don't know how to access a forum. I know it's not reproduction because the man who gave it to me is mid 80's and has had it forever before he gave it to me.

Wow...you are fast...Hugs

Susie that email addy didn't work :(

Can you post a picture? With the standard FW card tables, it is hard to imagine using a treadle base, so I wonder if the card table is the one you're talking about.

There was an extension for one of the FW tables, so perhaps that is what you have. I believe it only came with 2 legs of its own, but someone could have taken it apart from the table (which had the cutout) and attached 2 more legs to it.

There was another FW cabinet with an oval top. If you have that one it is quite rare.

That's a web site, not an email address. Here's the link - http://jslyle.com/

Hey !! I was in Albany on Sat. for the antique street fair :)

If you have a FW table that the man had forever you definitly don't want to cut it up. It is worth a lot of money. Some on EBAY listed theirs for $350 plus shipping. I pd $105 for mine with no shipping. got it at a local auction sale. In some of the quilt mags there is a guy who makes the repro's for $179 plus shipping.

Where do you live? I didn't go to the street fair this year, but I drove down to the post office to mail a pattern and had to take detours because the streets were closed off. It was one of our hottest days so far, so did that cut down on the number of people at the fair?

live in Canby
scroll back...added a few pics.

didn't stop the crowds at all.
I did however send a very nice email to people running it that it
would be a much better idea if they did not run it the day before the Coburg show. That way they could build their show which is what they want to do according to a vendor I was speaking with.
2 shows with a tear down set up is to hard and people will save their money for the Coburg show.
we will see how it all gets done in the end...lol

very nice looking card table. I still wouldn't take it apart. How about just setting it up next to the treadle so that you have more space to sew or quilt with whatever machine you want to use.

the treadle is just the leg base.
that is why I was thinking of attaching the
other to the top.

Not sure, but that may just be the name of the card table. It doesn't say Singer on it. And if my memory serves me correct, Singer didn't actually have 'featherweight' in the name when the machines were manufactured. I will look when I get to work where my featherweight cart table is.

that was why I tried to research.
I don't want to destroy it if it has a value.

What you posted pictures of is definitely Not a singer featherweight table. Those were manufactured by the singer company and had a serial number on them. They were wooden topped with metal base and had a cut out with a bracket underneath that supported the machine.

I have to agree that this table is probably not the official table made for the model 221 by Singer, and it may have even been made before the featherweight sewing machine was conceived, but it could have value to a collector. I wouldn't take it apart, at least not yet.

ewecansew is right that Singer never put the name 'featherweight' on their machines, but I'm not sure when they started calling the machine that. I looked at my FW card table, and there is nothing on the bottom except the serial number (stamped in) as far as identification. I don't think Singer let anyone else put advertizing on their products, and I *think* they made everything themselves. E.T. Burrowes was a company dating back to at least 1903 or thereabouts, and they did make things like this.

There is a gentleman on VintageSingers yahoo group who has researched the model 221 tables and put together several documents about them, available to group members. If you already belong to that group, you could contact him; if not, you could join; or if you don't want to join pm me and I will contact him for you. He might have information about this particular table if it was indeed made for a Singer featherweight.

sending PM

If it don't have the hole cut out for the machine then it is the extension table for the table that the machine fits into.

it is not the extension table it has 4 legs

I looked at my FW table and it has metal legs , with a wood top and cutout to set machine into. No name stamped on bottom like yours. Would still use it as an extension to the reg table for more room. Like the top.

The repro's are made by the Lyle's...with the website that was listed earlier

Dreamer....
If you only have a set of the treadle legs...get a piece of scrap marble or granite...maybe a piece of countertop...and mount it to the legs...makes a great looking side table.

Ditto...don't think it's a sewing table...for a FW...Just an oridinary card table's name.

you could also have a cutout in the top and use that for a sewing machine, just leaving it out with a cover on it.

Singer featherweight tables have metal legs, serial # and wood tops, I have 2 of them, plus my mother in law used to work for Singer Sewing machine company and that is all she sold. The serial # tell what type of machine will fit the opening.
I think it's a card table that was made in the 1930 or about that time. I have one that has wood legs and a vinyl type top, not sure what the top is made of.
I have a treadle base that I had a new top made for a feather weight. Lots of cabinet shops will make one if you don't rush them for a reasonable price. You will need to take a drawing to them with the length, width, cut out size and type of wood. Lots of time they make wrong cuts and have scrape boards, a lot cheaper.

Jean S. Lyle P.O. Box 289. Quincy, IL 62306-0289. Phone: (217) 222-8910. Fax: (217) 222-6053. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.jslyle.com

Hope you can get ahold of them! I don't remember her husband's name, but he used to sell insurance and will talk your leg off!

I bet your right!!! :thumbup:

LOL...but they know their stuff...

Patricia - I have never seen or heard of one such as you have described. I'm sorry that I can't help you with your problem. My best guess would be that it may have been a sample (or trial) table that Singer made to see if it would sell. We have run into a couple of cases that were made in such a manner for "trial" purposes. I would not change the table you have, but, at the same time, your need is the more important thing to consider.
Thank you for your inquiry. If you need more information that we can supply, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Jean & Bill Lyle

This information might help...seems it was not a sewing machine table but a true card table...it was light weight so was labeled "feather weight".

E.T. Burrowes Co. on Free Street was a huge company that opened in 1873 to make pool tables, card tables, storage chests and other wood products.

In 1913-1914, the company had 30 women and 250 men employees.


This company was in portland maine if you want to research it there are lots of links out there.

wow...thanks so much :)

E.T. Burrowe Co. Portland Maine was a maker of sliding screen, but was also known to have made tools and some items of furniture such as Pool Tables, cedar chest and portable card tables. It was not meant for the singer machine. But it could be very valuable, if you find the history of the company you may be able to find the years it was made.

I have a brian injury and never got very far in searching the co.
it's to hard for me.

I did not see a card table just like yours but I saw some similar in make and age...they ranged from $50 to $300. So it seems you may have a hidden gem....remember a thing is only worth what some one is willing to pay for it. You might have more luck researching Arts and Craft decor which I think your table might fit right in the middle of this period. Arts and crafts decor lasted through the Victorian era to the Art Deco period

Sorry, Dreamer....I thought they might have more info...

But, at least they contacted you...so many of these places don't even bother.

I really appreciate the help.
I'm at a total loss as to what to do with.

I think you are right about this. the real tables for the
221 & 301 are quite different from this. but it is a unique table, I would not cannibalize it since it is probably very old.
be interesting to see if anyone comes up with more info.

I heard back from the person on VintageSingers who has been doing the research on FW tables. He thinks it is probably just a card table made by that company, having nothing to do with Singer sewing machines. I agree with this assessment. I also think it may have come out much earlier than the FW, which I think came out in 1951. The Burrowes company was producing card tables, pool tables, etc. at a much earlier time frame.

I still don't think I would take it apart. Do you think an antique dealer would have more information, not about that table specifically, but about early card tables in general? There are several on ebay, some at really high prices (but I don't think those are selling).

Some more information about card tables made by Burrowes -

http://www.newspaperarchive.com/Site...?img=106933393

Scan down the page and see the Burrowes card table selling in 1924 for $1.98! This is not the same one you have - but similar. It does have a green leatherette top.

I just found it at another store (in 1923) for $1.85. It's clearly getting more valuable as time goes on...
http://news.google.com/newspapers?ni...AAIBAJ&pg=1533,1653454