Featherweight?
 

I am new to quilting and have a 1970s Bernini that my mother got for me when I was a kid. No problems with that, but I have been interested in buying an old vintage machine for just straight stitching. I've heard a little about the Featherweights and looked at a few online but I don't know what to look for. There is so much difference in prices! I could be so easily taken! I guess what I'm asking is what should I be looking for? What should I be asking the seller? How much should I expect to spend for a decent one? Is there somewhere, besides Ebay and Craigslist, that I should be looking? Is there some other models that I should be looking for? HELP!

You've started the hunt and it sounds like you are exploring. After looking for several years, I finally found one that I thought was worth the price and jumped on it. They seem to be different prices in different areas. Personally, I don't trust the ebay prices. They are just too high to make sense to me. Just keep your eyes and ears open and let your sewing friends know you are looking for one. You just never know what will come your way.

Shopgoodwill.com is another good source for featherweights. Usually the price is determined by the visual condition of the machine, the color, the box and the accessories. Are the decals intact or worn off? Is the finish in good shape? White is more expensive than black. Is the case on good condition and does it have all the feet, buttonholer, etc. Does it have a manual? All of those items go into how much it will cost.

bkay

I know that many quilters pull out all stops to get a Featherweight, but I have one and still don't know what all the fuss is about. I don't think you could go wrong with a Singer 301A. I use mine more than any of the other machines I have. It goes to retreats with me where I am surrounded by expensive machines. It makes a pretty straight stitch, no zigzag, and I have sewn through different fabrics with no problems.
I have a lot of older or vintage machines and often buy from shopgoodwill.com, but only from a site where I can pick it up. I would not trust their packing and shipping.
If you feel your life will not be complete until you have a Featherweight, pass the word around and one usually turns up when you least expect it. When you look at one, make sure it has the bobbin case and extra bobbins. I've met at least two different people who paid $10 for a Featherweight in a thrift store because the person who priced them must have thought they were toys.

Surprisingly enough, I just found mine on Facebook Marketplace. Good deal, great seller, who is now going to be a new longarm customer for me, even though she's out of state.

As far as sewing on it goes... well, I just got her on Saturday, but my weekend has been chaos, so I haven't even had a chance to play with her yet.

If you get a chance to sew on it before buying, note that the thread goes through the needle right to left. Check the condition of the foot pedal and wiring.

I agree with elnan that the 301 (big sister to the FW) is my choice. It is similar to the FW in many ways, but the slant needle gives me a better line of vision, and the standard needle plate has the lines for measurement (quarter inch, half inch, etc.)

I was able to get one from Shopgoodwill.com and also Ebay. Goodwill can only tell you if it turns on, they won't give any clue whether the stitching is any good. (I have a really good sewing machine repair dude, so was more determine to get a decent looking one at a good price.) Just remember they will be shipping it to you, so there is an additional cost, not to mention they need to know how to pack them for shipping.

You should decide what you want to spend. I spent $187.00 for one and $300.00 for another because I got caught up in the bidding process. I only use mine for travel since my Janome MC6600 is always set up. I know some people actually quilt with theirs - they must be extremely patient and very talented.

The tan FW's seem to be the priciest these days, at least on shopgoodwill. No difference in performance, though, and the pre-1953 black models have pretty faceplates. I really love my FW for piecing get-togethers, like the Linus Project, because it is so easy to carry and easy to keep running as well. I've seen a few nice ones in the Pacific NW for $250-300. People steal the bobbin cases out of them, so check to be sure yours comes with one (vintage, not new, unless through a trusted source who tests the new ones). The 301a's are great, too!

After looking around for several years I finally found one I could afford. The ones on Ebay and other online sites seem to be very much out of my price range. Saw some at a quilt show in wonderful condition, looked like new but those too started at $500 or more-more than I could afford. I would also check craigslist from time to time and look at rummage and yard sales(never found one at a sale but almost never got to one when they opened). Finally found one listed on Craigs list for a nice price, a little bit over 100. It was a bout 3-4 days after posting so I thought I missed this one too, but called and it was still available so arranged a place to meet and made sure it would run and made the purchase. The cord on the foot looked frayed so I decided to order a new foot before using it. When I asked a very experienced quilter at a quilt show what makes the feather weight so appealing to quilters she said it doesn't zigzag so the fabric feeds through without the shifting a zigzag opening might cause, and it is easy to take along for classes or to work on away from home.

I picked up a wonderful Singer 99K (1956) at a barn sale for $20. It sews the greatest, smooth, even straight stitch I've ever seen. It was well cared for, clean, cord was not frayed- a great find and a machine I love. People have gone a little crazy where featherweight s are concerned. If you really want one of those I would have to see it before purchase- clean? Attachments in their box with it? Case in good condition? Cord not frayed? Everything that should move/ turn does so smoothly? In other words, is it in good enough condition with everything that goes with them included and how much are you willing to spend? I spent 3 years looking around for a second machine, couldn't be happier with my $20 find.
Not a featherweight but a great straight stitch vintage machine

Thank you for all the good advice. I am not necessarily set on a Featherweight. They are just what I've heard most about. I am really just interested in a vintage straight stitch machine that works well for piecing. I will include the 99s and 301s to my list of options. Any others I should consider?

My best piece of advice would be: Don't be in a hurry. You'll pay too much if you are! I also have two featherweights that I bought because of the hype, and am not that impressed with them. After I found a 301 I never use the featherweights. I found two 301s at estate sales... paid $50 for one of them and $25 for another--in cabinets! I love those machines. They really are NOT upgrades from the featherweight (big sisters), but their own great designs. The 301 was the very first Slant-O-Matic model to come out, and it's a beltless, gear driven machine with the motor and gears all encased in the tower. This is totally different from the featherweight which is belt driven and has an external motor. The 301 is a much stronger sewer because of the gear drive, and it's only 5 lbs heavier than a featherweight even tho it is a full sized machine. They become portables easily when you pull up the handle on the top of the arm, and lift them out of their cabinets. They go in and out of their cabinets in a snap. There is no comparison between a 301 and a featherweight! The slanted needlebar allows better visibility of your sewing, and the bobbin case is very easily accessible.

If you look around on this board you will see all kinds of cool vintage machines. Where do you start? There are many nice vintage machines. Check out the beautiful and colorful Japanese 15 clones - I've had very few that couldn't be made to work. Or just get a Singer 15 with a silver badge. Kenmore made a few amazing machines. The 66s and 99s (Singer) are nice machines but a little more complicated than the 15s or the clones. Uncommon, there are clones of the 66s by the Japanese, too. There are some old Japanese machines that do SS, ZZ, take cams or have camstacks. Those are a lot of fun with the cool colors and some dash boards. We have a lot of info here on those, too. An old Long bobbin makes a very nice stitch - a bit more learning curve but not all that bad once you get the hang of it. I have a light weight Singer 206 that just does SS and ZZ - it is a honey of a machine. The Singer 306 is a nice versatile machine with cams, too. If you want adventure try a Singer 319 - it is like a mechanical computer for stitch selection. Very likely you can search each of these in the search above or google and find lots of pro and con. The froggy eye Singer is cool, too. Some just do SS and ZZ and some have cams. I prefer machines that have cams rather than cam stacks. Emdeko by Toyota is a very decent machine. The singer 201 is a Cadilac of straight stitchers. My own favorite is a souped up Singer 15-75 and it is the ugliest machine - some farm wife beat it nearly to death. I put a fast motor on it and a pop up pressure nut. It is in my Singer 3 in 1 table. Sweet. It was pretty gross so it was thoroughly cleaned and oiled. I'm thinking the only thing I have faster is industrial. A lot of times times the old ugly worked to death machines sew better than the pretty shiny nice ones. I don't mean neglected never used rusted... I have a Singer 115 I put a hand crank on and love it, too. It is better than the FW or the 301. It has the same bobbin mechanism but the bobbin holds a lot more thread. BTW I likely haven't scratched the surface of the old machines I love. If you want antique go check out Victorian sweatshop forum.

I agree. I have my mother's 301A and a Rocketeer as well as a Featherweight. I haven't had much chance to use the featherweight yet, but the 301A is now my go-to machine for piecing. I love that little machine. I've seen them go for really reasonable prices and it isn't really that heavy if you want to take it to classes or retreats.

I have a 301 and FW. I like them both, but love the FW! It is so quiet and portable and has the best straight stitch. For me, it goes to the top of my list for a travel machine because of its portability. It is also easy to set up in the tv room for those times I want to watch tv with the family and still sew. I actually had 4, but sold one. One I found on eBay several years ago and paid way too much for it, but sold it locally for what I paid for it. The other 3 were reasonably priced at antique malls.
If you know anyone with vintage machines, perhaps you could test sew on them before you decide. Good luck!

MFord,
The tan featherweights are more expensive, because they were only made for about 2-3 years; so there are fewer out there. I have a tan FW, its good little machine. I also have a black short bed 301, I like it too.
Sharon in Texas

You know, that Bernina your mom gave you is probably a heck of a machine, too! I have an 830 Record made in '76 that just purrs, plus it has lots of nice deco stitches. They have one or two nylon gears that sometimes need to be replaced, but it's well worth doing. A heavier machine, though.

Sharon, isn't it funny that the tan machines are more expensive than the black - to me they look less interesting than the black ones with the decals and pretty faceplates. I do love mine, though!

Given a choice between a FW and a 301, for me it's no contest. I'll choose my 301s every time. I keep my FW because it looks so cute in its cabinet and my 5yr old GD has claimed it and my hand crank machine.

Cari

I have had 8 FWs down to just 4 now one black, and 3 repainted ones,( fushia, blue, and teal). I love, love, love color, I love taking them to retreats and such, so light weight, and nice and small, goes well in my tiny car, (a smart for 2) I had a white FW, and it had a short bed, did not care for it, but the 4H student I gave it to loves it! Just go with what you LIKE, try out several machines and see what fits you, machines come in all sizes shapes and colors, and even sounds, some purr, some sound like a big thrashing machine, some are easy to care for, some need an expert to fix any thing on it. Just try them out and see which you like, fits your budget, and if you have a fix it shop near by, if needed. The nice thing about the FW for me is that they were made so nice and simple that you can fix them your self. I have CD and book that are wonderful for info for keeping them in perfect running order.

I'll bet it is a heck of a machine. Those old 830's and 930's were real work horses and they stitched so well.

Can someone explain the difference between the 201 and the 201-2? They seem to have been made for a good number of years.... what years should I be looking for?

201s come in 4 original variations. Treadle, hand crank, electric with an external motor and electric with a potted motor. A 201-2 is the variation with a potted motor. Any 201 should be a good machine to have.

Cari

I agree with Cari. I have a FW, and several other good machines. I love (emphasis added) the 201 -- it's great for quilting SITD! I'm just a rank amateur, but the only machine I think I would like to have to use would be a 301. Since I don't really need it, I'm using my budget for fabric! lol!

I have a Featherweight I have never used since I purchased a 301. I used it four years until I purchased a larger vintage machine from my aunt. I still keep the 301 handy for a backup machine.

I bought my first one on EBay for $225, just before Christmas. It arrived the day before and it was my Christmas present to myself. It ran great and I have been using it now for about 10 years.

If you are looking to save some money, a machine where the gold printing around the sewing machine is worn brings the price down a great deal. Your best bet to find one at a decent price is garage sales.

I purchased 2 from the same lady, who put up a sign at a senior center. One week later, she still had them for sale and I bought them both for $150. You just never know where or when you are going to find one (or two).

I love my Featherweight and I take it to class all of the time, as they are easy to carry and take up very little space. I keep my other one home and have it set up for sewing all of the time.

I have several machines (vintage and modern) - my FW is a great little travel machine but I think it'd drive me bonkers if I tried to use it as my main/daily machine. It's adorable and quiet and works great, but it's very small and not very powerful - I wouldn't want to use it to try to do some of the repair sewing I do on clothing where a lot of seams join, for example. It's perfect for piecing some blocks while I'm relaxing on the coast, though.

Many people have mentioned the 301 and I agree, that's a great machine. I LOVE slant-shank machines, they are my favorite type of vintage machine to use. I also like the 400-series and 500-series of slant-shank machines, but those have more stitches so if you're looking for straight-stitch only, the 301 is what you're after.

The 99 I saw mentioned as well - that's another very good, solid, straight-stitch machine. That's a 3/4 size machine so it's a good compromise between portability and functionality. (the FW is a 1/2 size, 301 is full size) It's a lot heavier than either the FW or the 301, though, because it has a cast-iron body instead of aluminum. It uses the same motor as a standard-sized sewing machine so it has good power.

There are some real benefits to a Singer 99 - they are a lot more common than either the FW or the 301 and can often be found at VERY reasonable prices. The 99 uses a bobbin that is much more common than the type that the FW & 301 use. 99's also use very common external motors, and if you get one with a bad (or missing) motor or scary wiring they're easily replaced by someone with zero electrical knowledge. You can buy a pre-wired motor brand new and literally just bolt it on with a single screw. Done. Easy.

Close kin to the 99 is the Singer 185 - it's essentially identical to the Singer 99 but in an updated body style; these are also not terribly hard to find and some people find them more attractive than the classic black style of the 99's. They come in green and beige.

On Craigslist in our area they are now $250 to $350, with the tan ones on the higher end.