I am a new member of the Featherweight Club!!
 

Yesterday I was gifted a 1947 221 FW by a friend who was going to throw it away! She needs cleaned up, oiled, etc, but runs smooth. I only have one pressure foot, no book, no case, but I got the FW. I was looking on Ebay for a manual and seen so many accessories, but I don't have any idea which feet really do work or which ones I might find useful, in particular, does anyone use a walking foot or the embroidry/darning/freemotion foot. I need ideas and/or experiences with any of the accessories sold today. I love this little machine and plan on using it alot. Any and all advice will be most apprecited by this FW newbie.:D

Congratulations on becoming the proud owner of a featherweight. Shame on your friend for even thinking of throwing it out. So glad you were there to come to the rescue. My FW came with lots of accessories and I've also purchased a few feet that I thought would be useful. I don't like either of the 1/4 inch feet that I bought as well as the one that came with the machine. I also have a free motion foot that I bought on a whim just to try FMQ but haven't really used it for anything yet. I'd suggest that you get her cleaned up and oiled, then give her a good trial run by piecing several blocks. You may find you don't need a lot of accessories or extra feet. BTW, you can download a 221 manual at http://thefeatherweight221factory.com/

Maggie, congrats!

Who needs a case anyhow - they are over-rated lunchboxes which all smell like old attics. ;-) (I am just kidding- nobody be offended, please!) Mine has a case, though, and honestly, I never use it. (the case)

I am so pleased for you! Just give her a nice clean up, sew on her a bit. You know, all short-shank feet will fit the little FW, so you don't need to buy anything special.

Also, I'd wait and see how it is going to be used before spending $ on accessories. You may well find, as I do, that you end up using her for quick basting jobs, etc, and that you might not really need much more than that simple presser foot after all. Or you may! We're all different. Just don't feel as though you have to run out and buy FW-branded Stuff, because really, you don't.

Congrats again on your acquisition! It is -shocking- to me that someone would throw something like that away. :-( But on a happy note, I am really glad that you have rescued it!!! Yay!

BTW, apparently, Graham F's site has some helpful bits on cleaning up the old Stitchers. And, of course, all the advice you could ever hope for is lurking on QB as well. Happy tinkering!

Congrats, enjoy your machine!!

Congratulations on your save! You might look on the Goodwill site as they have singer parts on there alot.

Congrats! I just became a member yesterday too. I got mine off Craigslist and it wasn't free - a good deal, but not free :-).

As far as manuals go, you can download Singer Manuals for any of their machines for free at http://www.singerco.com/accessories/instruction-manuals At least all the ones I've needed are there anyway, including the Featherweight.

I've not gotten to use mine yet as last night's sewing required a blind hem stitch (lol - I've somehow been nominated as the person who can hem at my church) but I'm looking forward to using "Louise" later this week!

Welcome to the FW club..... I have 4. 2 are 1947s. The other 2 are early 1950s. I love them all. I have a walking foot that I use on baby quilts. I purchased it at sew-classic and it lines up with the feed dogs very well. I probably have most of the original attachments.... and I do have an original darning foot.... it's one that I use for FMQ on small quilts. I've also used the buttonhole maker on my FWs. I also bought a 1/4" foot and I like it a lot.

I use my FWs for all my piecing and love the perfect stitches and click-click-click sound they make. It's music to my ears. So much more soothing than the noise newer machines make. I can hardly be in the same room when my SIL sews on her machine. It's like fingernails on a chalkboard..... ARGHHH!!

So, enjoy your 'new' machine. Take good care of her..... she'll last your lifetime and then your children's, and then your grandchildren's... etc.

Do check out www.sew-classic.com for parts, etc. Great site, and customer service is wonderful!

Welcome to the FW club, and you will enjoy her, because she can sew through thickness that some of the newer ones cant. Look at <April 1930> site for parts. Try David McCallum's book on FW's. Remember she does like oil have the foot petal checked for safety reason. Enjoy.


cherrybsixty

Me too!

On an unrelated, but similar, note - I bought a $15 knitted baby's shawl from a woman today who advertised it for sale as being knitted by a great grandmother. I spent countless hours crocheting a shawl for my first baby and couldn't believe that someone would sell a family heirloom for $15. When I asked her about it, she said it belonged to her son and she asked him if he wanted to keep it for his kids, he said 'nah' and wanted to put the money toward some video game or something. He was under 10 y.o! ...I am still amazed. This story is in the same "I don't get it" file as people who would get rid of anything so beautiful.

Okay, Frudemoo, you want to play this game? ;-)

I got a free Bernina 730 from a lady who was about to put it in the dumpster, no kidding, because she wanted a lighter machine. She went to Sears and bought a $100 plastic machine and was so thrilled. She'd never have to oil it, after all.

I've had great success with learning maintenance from Nova Montgomery's website. She sells parts, too. Another great source is Aprils 1930’s website. Enjoy!

Thank you all for the advice....Sugar Bear is now oiled, cleaned and working...what beautiful stitches!! I am really going to love sewing on this machine. I have visited the sites you gave me. I LOVE the Featherweight 221 factory!! I download a great manual there. This friend has literally made me a collector. Everytime he moves, someone has left machines or when his mother passed...he had machines. He has given me a Singer 237 Fashionmate, a Brother Riviera 1681-M, a White Series 77 in cabinet and now my Sugar Bear!! I only had two machines, an 1891 Singer treadle (grandmother's) and a Viking #1. Machine poor, I no longer am. I love this quilt board and thank you all so much for always being there.

You can download the manual for free on the Singer website. If you do Facebook, there's a Featherweight lovers pager there too where you can get all kinds of free information about attachments, etc. check out their "FILES"

Congratulations. Here are a list of names you can google that I have purchased from: 221 Parts; April 1930's; Glenn Williams; Graham Forsdyke; Nova Montgomery; David McCallum. I believe I purchased my walking foot from 221 Parts, along with a belt, felt pad, foot pedal and 1/4" foot with a side flange. I purchased rubber feet from Glenn Williams; I took the care and maintenance class from Nova Montgomery and purchased some bobbins. I purchased David McCallums DVD / book combo on the care and maintenance of FWs. I have 6 FWs -- 4 black (1939, 1950 Centennial model, 1951 and 1952) a 1964 celery/white and a tan . All came with cases and feet. I am getting ready to clean, oil and lube the 1952, which also needs a new foot pedal. I got the tan for about $150 on eBay. I thought it was a celery/white machine from the pictures until I saw the case. No one else was bidding on it, probably because they didn't look at all the pictures or didn't know what a tan case looked like.

What a friend! Lots of tutes and help out there - just ask.

Congratulations! All short shank feet will fit your machine. Some you won't need since a FW is straight stitch only. Don't buy feet based on them being advertised as FW specific, you'll over pay; just buy generic short shank feet you would like to have. A soft sided beer cooler that will hold a 12 pack will hold a featherweight. Now is the time to buy one! You'll have lots of selection of colors and styles. I paid 10.00 for my cooler at Family Dollar. It has been working fine for 3 years.

Congratulations and enjoy!!

Welcome to the Featherweight club, now you need another, and another and.......