Featherweights--Does anyone NOT love them?
 

I have never heard anyone say one negative thing about Featherweights. Are they that fantastic?

Are there any downsides to sewing on one? Anyone not like them (and why)?

I dont want one, they are cute. If i traveled oor attended class they. Would be nice but for use at home? I dont know why.... now, if someone gave me one with the attachments and case I wouldnt say no, but Id display it.

I was given my mother's 1945 FW. I learned to sew on it and it has always had tension issues. Like it, but LOVE my new LBOW 301A!!! So fast, smooth, and powerful! Just my two cents...

I love my 1936 Featherweight. I don't believe I could live without it. Then again, it is the only machine that I use. The only downside I can see is that you will not be able to machine quilt large pieces as the throat of mine measures only 5". But that's why I hand quilt which is my favorite part. Anyone who has tension issues should refer to the manual and fix it - once! After that - you are golden. I have been using mine since the 70's - when my nanny gave it to me. ( Her brand new purchase back then to sew my mom's and her sisters clothes!) I do my own maintenance - rarely, except for the time that it had a short in the wiring and gave me some "Shock therapy" till I had the one ancient wire replaced. I can not sing the praises of my baby enough. And - no - she does not have a name but she is female. I can sew anything with it. Beautiful quilts, flannel jamas, denim knee patches, drapes, upholstery, bags - a workhorse. Love my machine. Since I plan to be cremated - I can't have the kids bury me with it. Better teach someone else in the family to sew so it has a good home!

I love my little Featherwieghts, but I am not wild about the case. I prefer to put it in my case with the wheels and pack it along. I have my Janome 6600P set up all the time at home, so I rarely use the FW's at home. But they are perfect for travel. If you have limited space and only want to do straight stitching it is an ideal machine - great for teaching a child to sew also. (There is a button hole attachment and a zig-zag attachment and even a blind stitch attachment available.) I bought a walking foot to use with it, but so far have not tried to use it.

Thanks cwessel47 for your opinion--I really appreciate the information. I have a new "plastic" computerized machine but it doesn't compare with my old Singer that bit the dust a few years ago. I know that if anything happens to my new one I will not be able to fix it myself. I could sew anything on my old Singer too without any problems, and was surprised to be quilting through several layers with my new machine and it started smelling "hot"! I can see that it will probably not stand up to the sewing I do. A 5" throat on your featherweight is only an inch smaller than the one on my new machine, believe it or not! So I've been thinking really hard about getting a featherweight to have something portable to take with me to sew with friends, which I like to do. I just find it odd that I never hear anything bad about them, which is why I'm asking for the negatives before I spend the money on one (although I think it would be perfect for what I want to do).

I will chime in here. I have a janome 6600wich is a big machine, too big to haul around to classes. So, I began the hunt for a FW. I found one, purchased it had her serviced, even bought the 1/4 foot for quilting. then i took her out for a spin at out local quilt a shop for a sit n sew on day. Thats wheni discover,,,,,,i don't like using her! Really. (1) First of all I can't run her as fast as I do my janome on chain piecing. (2) I sooooo miss the bigger throat & (3) my thread cutters. (4) I don't like the fact that she doesn't feed the same as my Janme does, it's almost like you have to gently guide / pull the fabric through (5) I also am used to sewing with an extension table on (now I know you can but one for the FW but that's more $). (6) I have almost forgotten how to adjust the speed and all using a pedal! Lol

Now for the good things, (1) she is small and very portable (2) no much to go wrong with her (3) she does sew a beautiful stitch!

BTW : her name is Lucy, she is black, and I will be selling her

Good luck on you're decision :)

I purchased my FW about a year ago and have only taken it to one class.....I was seated beside a lady with a big old Brother machine that she ran 100 miles an hour and she bounced my little machine all over the place (plastic table). I managed to get my points to come out, but was the last one finished with my project. If you are used to all the bells and whistles of an electronic machine.....you may not be happy not being able to reverse on the fly, have a thread cutter etc. That being said I still like my little "mini mi" and will take it again to my next quilt retreat...just be careful where I sit! On the plus side I find that those little singer machines have more power to move thru several layers of fabric where my electronic stalled. Good luck with your decision.

I'm one of those that doesn't love them:> I find them a bit wimpy to work on, a bit slower than other machines with a small motor and output. Cute? Yes, but I too prefer my 301's. And the 301's are not much heavier. So, unless a FW falls into my lap for very little money, I won't be owning one.

I have 6. I just love the little guys!

We have one. My wife told me years ago she'd always wanted a FW. So year before last I got her one. Cute, easy to pack around, handy, but .... she's not used it once. I have used it several times and it's a good sewing machine for small stuff.
Love it, no. Dislike it, no. Would I buy another one, no. Well, maybe if it was cheep enough.

Joe

I used to have two until my granddaughter, who would never go near a sewing machine, sat down and starting sewing on one of them. She has finished her first quit and I wanted to show her how to quit it on my 201 but she chose to tie it off. The big machines must scare her. So needless to say, I'm losing one of my twins to my granddaughter.

I've never sewn on anything newer than a 401 so I can't speak to the speed but the twins do a great job piecing for me. I do have them in a FW table which may be a help.

Hi: I am considering purchasing a FW a 221 1940, the year I was born. I machine piece and hand quilt, live in a flat that doesn't have very much room, and want something lightweight. I have seen some in excellent condition for about $400-450 from Twice as Nice in Fremont, CA. Would this be a fair price?
Tomodachi

I love my FW . I grew up sewing on it,so it has good feelings that come with it. We are on a long RV trip; it's great..doesn't take up much space,doesn't get disturbed by motion,like one with lots of electronics might. It's not 1000 stitches per minute,but I'm retired now and speed is no longer an issue. It's quite a conversation piece for other quilters on the road,as I often sew outside on the picnic table. I sew tops while traveling ,then quilt them on the " big J" when I get home.

I thought they were so cute and of course portable, so I bought one. It sews beautifully, but well it's a bit too small for my taste. I ended up loving my 301 so much more than the FW. Like a few of the folks who posted here, I will probably end up selling my FW.

I just purchased a Featherweight and really like her. She won't replace my Janome for the majority of piecing and garment sewing, but can't be beat for taking to class or putting on the TV tray and piecing while watching a video. I use a Brother 1500S for FMQ and a Singer 15-91 for quilting with a walking foot, so the Featherweight is only for portable work. Yes, she is slower than the larger machines, but so is the Janome Jem that folks really like.

I love my FW. It was manufactured in the l940's. They are very popular among quilters. Have heard from many that the reason is, that since it has no play in the shaft to sew zig zag stitching, that it was constructed with the straightest line of "straight stitching", best for sewing quilt pieces together. (piecing) The "newer" machines that make the beautiful decorative stitches and zig zag....there is a little bit of play in the shaft in order to accomodate the dec. stitches.....so the FW, designed for just straight stitch, is the best for straight quilting seams. I love my newer models - 4 Janome top of the lines, and 3 Husq. Vikings top or the line, but I also LOVE my little FW....Love to travel with it, and go to classes with it. I wouldn't part with it.......I would sort of predict that one day when they become scarce they may be very valuable. At at time a few years ago, quilters everywhere were scarfing them up and you could hardly find one for sale anywhere. If you have one and don't have to sell it, I would hang on to it.

tomotachi1- At that price it should be in excellent condition with little or no wear to the gold accents and come with a lot of attachments and a really good case. I live in your area and things are more expensive here. If you look online there are people who only sell featherweights and they would be a place to look. You need to decide if you want all those extra things and are willing the pay for them. I learned how to sew on a FW so 2 years ago I purchased one. I got mine from Featherweight Poppy on line. I contacted him and told him what type of condition I wanted and what (if any attachments and case I wanted) I ended up with one without any attachments and I certainly didn't want that heavy case. It cost me $250 came in exact as described condition and ran like a top. I bought a soft case on line for $30 but some people use bowling cases. Whatever you do the most important thing is that is has been serviced, has a good motor,new belt as these rings will cost you after the purchase. Since you live near that store I would test drive it and ask lots of questions. Hope this helps. Yes I love my FW, great for classes and does sew a perfectly straight stitch. I have 5 other machines, 4 Vikings and a new Janome 8200 with all the bells and whistles but for piecing I love the FW.

I wouldn't pay more than 300 bucks for one tomodachi1. they were made literally by the millions. that price is probably 300-ish bucks and then marked up to cover overhead and income. There are dozens on ebay at any one time and lots come up at www.shopgoodwill.com

I had a celery which I sold and still have my black one which I want to sell. Like some of the people above, I just don't care to sew on them although they are truly cute as a button. But I can't see that button when it is underneath and back of my sewing table. I've made room to actually use my treadle and Singer 15 clone, and hand crank. :) Our differences are what make us interesting.

I like my FW but I love my Singer 201 more. Still wouldn't get rid of it. And if you don't have one - they are fun. Taken the FW ---rving this summer.

I think it's too high. I picked one up for $75 and here in Canada, and the further north you go, it seems the worse it is, we typically pay much more for machines than in the states. It needed very little work. (Someone had adjusted the pedal improperly so it fizzed and popped and the machine ran on its own, needed a part for the bobbin winder, and bed feet and a belt.) It's not perfect as far as the appearance, but it's still very good (Decals are a little bit worn).

Expect all but a fully serviced machine to need bed feet and a belt. Make sure the bobbin case is there, it's one of the most expensive "parts" you'll have to buy, and watch for ads that say something like "Old Singer Sewing machine" or "Small Singer Sewing Machine" sometimes they even omit the "Singer" from the ad. Both of my sub $100 machines have been from ads that didn't say 221 or featherweight in them.

If you plan to carry it in a different case (like the soft ones discussed above) consider getting one with the case latches cut off. You don't need the key, and the latches won't matter. It seems to really lower the resale value so you can get them for a good deal.

Love, love, love mine!

Won two bids the same week on e-bay. One was my f.w. and one was the "big sister"-- Singer 301A. I have to admit I like the extra power & speed of the 301A as well as it's great visibility due to the slant shank design. Makes seeing where you're sewing while fmq so much better. I do not dislike the feather weight; can't beat it's cute look, just haven't put enough hrs. sewing on it to know it as well as the 301A.

I love my FW, and my 301A too! :)

I certainly love my featherweight. And so do my young grandchildren. http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...w-t218966.html

Pretty sure there isn't anything not to like about them!!!!

I have three featherweights between two houses and wouldn't part with any of them. I use them all the time. The one downside is no zig zag so overcasting seams and making button holes I use my Viking. Two of mine were from my husband's grandmothers and one I found at a shop whose motto is "we buy junk....we sell antiques" and the name of the place is Cool Stuff. I found it way in the back in one room behind some other stuff, made them an offer and it was mine. I'm not a fast sewer so speed never bothered me. I do all my piecing on it but don't quilt as it is too lightweight so moves around when I push the quilt around and there isn't enough room to feed a quilt through the harp area. I also haven't figured out how to cover the feed dogs for free motion so I use my Viking for the quilting part.

That seems high although I know people who have sold them for that and people who have bought them. I paid $120 for mine (1934) but the case was in bad shape. That was fine with me because I wanted the machine and didn't care about the case. It depends on how bad you want it. Will they deal with you?

featherweights
 

I like my featherweight very much...but...love my 301...I have a black shiny 301 in cabinet that I just love
sewing on...stitch is as good as featherweight and I do all my piecing on it...have another LBOW301A that
I take to classes and quilt group

I like FW's, but the tension knob is right in my line of vision to the needle, which seems to be set back a little to far for me to see. I am a tall person, so maybe I just need to lower the chair.

On the other hand, the 301 with the slant needle is just perfect for me. The needle is right in my line of vision.

Another negative, at least on the FW's I have owned is that the light gets hot. I don't have that problem on the 301.

Dayle

I love my FW when I first bought it years ago I baby it, only to bring out to take to classes. That was until last summer when my main machine decided to keep breaking the top thread while I was paper piecing a twin size fan quilt. So I pulled out the FW, oiled her up and sewed away. Best machine I have used over the years to paper piece! I have no problems chain piecing with her either and she will go fast when I ask but I love the way I can control the speeds and never have a nest on it yet...but now that I said that it will most likely happen. lol

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I like to collect vintage machines and when I first seen one my girlfriend was trying to sell her moms and I thoughtu it was so beautiful but after researching it seem to me that they were everywhere and I lost a little bit of interest because I gravitate toward more unique items ( they need to sing a song to my heart ) so as a little tme passed she started to lower the price . Im talking about a machine that is in the very best condition with all original feet and case and most important to me decals and minimal scratches. Now I am tempted because she is now at 150.00 for the price but with all these issues I have seen I guess I will let it go and keep saving for my janome 6600.

I have 2 and love them for piecing. I take them to retreats and classes. That being said, I use my Janome or one of my vintage machines at home. I have a couple of treadles and a Singer 15-91 that I love for machine quilting. I think the FWs have their place and are good at what they do. I wouldn't want one for my only machine, but I plan on keeping Phoebe and Fiona around for as long as I'm around.

I have 3 featherweights, 2 are black & one is tan. I like sewing with them when I'm piecing quilts at quilting bee or classes.
One of the black featherweights will soon be painted a dark purple, her decals and paint are in sad shape. She does sew a beautiful stitch, will look so much prettier with new paint and decals.
I made a mid-wale corduroy jacket with a FW, not problem sewing even the thicker seams. I used a zig zag machine to finish the raw edges on the seams.
Sharon

For those of you who have mentioned a jumping around issue with a FW.... I have an 8X12" piece of mesh carpet padding under mine. It does NOT move.

My featherweight is my RV(camping) machine. Doesn't take up much space and great for piecing and then the quilt blocks and/or tops come home to be completed.

My only problem with my FW is that the foot pedal sticks and has to fixed frequently. However, that might be MY problem, because I've had to replace the foot pedal on my last two machines. Other than that, I love my FW!


As for speed, who cares? I think using the FW is very calming, and my 1/4" seams are a lot more accurate with it than my Janome Heart Truth.

I have 4, 2 black ones a shimmering green one a shimmering blue one, they are set up all the time on my singer treadle tables, as are 4 of my pfaff 7570's, I love my little singers and would not trade them. If I go to a class they are so easy to take along. and My 4H girls have been using the Pfaffs but want to learn how to use the featherweights, so next project we will all be using the little gals. and they are so so cute!!!

I think they are cute, and I have one, but they aren't my favorite machine to sew on for some reason. I love vintage machines, but this one just isn't one I use. It is touted as a favorite to travel with, but I find it rather heavy. Maybe I'm just a weakling. I have loan it out to friends when their machines are out of service, otherwise it wouldn't get used.

There are LED replacement bulbs available on E-Bay that don't get hot.

I always take my fw with me when I'm piecing a quilt top...it's the best at that...I just cruise along.