lovelyl

I have a Singer 101. Is yours in a sewing cabinet? If so, there may not be a pedal, just a knee controller and it is probably pushed up under the cabinet to keep it out of the way. Since 101's were the first Singers to be manufatured as all electric they tend to be quite old. Mine is 1929. Please have someone check the wiring carefully - it may need to be rewired. They sew a great stitch - straight stitch only and no reverse.
If you want something to sew on quickly, you might want to search for something a bit newer - say in the 1940's or so. A Singer 201 or 15-91 would be an excellent choice. Then you could start sewing after a quick cleaning, oiling,and lube!

Downtown

Hi Linda,

Yes it is in a cabinet. I was checking it out last night. It's a 101 with a knee lever, not a pedal just like you said. It even has a needle in it and a manual. Originally what I thought was the manual was a "how to sew" manual, not the machine manual. I did find the manual stashed inside the cabinet. I plugged it in and the light came on. I'm going to have it checked out this weekend. I still need to get something quick for quilting that has reverse at a reasonable price. Any recommnedations? Thanks again!

Kittywolf13

I'll just second the craigslist idea. Lots of machines on there. I have 0 experience so I don't know if a cheap machine (say from Walmart) would fit the bill. I'm in the process of adopting a Brother xr6060 which retails for about 120-140 (check overstock.com it's where she got it) from a friend. It's not metal but it has a lot of pretty stitches (60 of em!) I think it's a nice machine and reliable. Other then that fish out a 66 or 99 singer (but I don't think those have reverse?? I'm not sure im new at this) I'm sure the quilting experts will have more to say! post a picture of your machine please!

craftiladi

Oh please let us know what you decided...not to sound totally cheap and off my rocker [which i usually am] I was in your smae situation and ran to walmart and picked up a Brother SQ9000 for under 200.00 and love it, that was 2 years ago and it was so easy to learn.

happyquiltmom

If you need something just for FM quilting, consider an old Bernina 830 Record. I have one (purchased on eBay) that I use solely for this purpose. Works great!

Downtown

Hi Kitty,

I will take a picture today at lunch and post for you. I'm looking to see if a foot peddle can be attached to this machine (somehow) because I don't really have room for the cabinet. If this can't be done, I will gladly give this machine up to someone how can use it. I'm not crazy about the fact that it doesn't have reverse either but everyone says she sews like a champ so if I can get a peddle installed, I'll give her a go. I'm in a pinch time wise as I have a massive project I'm working that is due day after Thanksgiving (I'm doing baby shower favors for a friend of mine). Thank you!

Downtown

Hi Dee,

Yeah, I've been buying those machines as well and I guess I'm too hard on them (although I haven't tried Brother... yet). I need something that can handle quilting through layers and layers. Thank you!

Downtown

Hi Happyquiltmom,

I have to admit I have no idea what "FM" means in FM quilting. I can only guess here:
Family Man
For My
Foolish Mother
Find More
Friendly Material

I have no idea. I'm a dope.

Kittywolf13

I believe fm means free motion? For free motion quilting.

Caroline S

From my experience with the Singer 101 machines, I have one love it and use it all the time, they were always wired into the cabinet and had knee controls instead of foot control. Manuals are available from the Internet and is a must as the 101 was the first Singer machine with a potted motor, internal gears and no belt. The oiling is quite a bit different. When I purchased mine, it had to go the the OSMG (Old Sewing Machine Guy) to be re-wired as the wiring had been cut to remove the machine head from the cabinet. Check the wiring first to see if it is good. Most important.

You also might look for a Singer 15-91. Another workhorse that you can very easily maintain yourself.

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