Pinkberrykay, Thank You for the step by step pictures of you and your sisters cleaning of Maggie May. I have wanted to do the same to my Pawnie (got her at a Pawn shop), but always a little unsure of myself. Your story in pictures gives me HOPE (you see, Pawnie is also a 1948). These little girls are small in size, but they have BIG hearts. Thank you again for sharing your wonderful story and pictures of Maggie May. Your DGD will now be a part of Maggie Mays story (just as you and your family are), too. Enjoy!!!

Yes, I would say to definitely clean that area out. Gunk is never good. Enjoy her. I love my Emma.

Maggie looks very nice! :)

she looks great!

Good luck with Maggie. Some one just gave me a (around 1960) Singer Feather Weight. It did need some attention, it didn't stitch well. So I took it to a trust worthy sewing machine shop. He adjusted it oiled & cleaned it. It works like a charm, she is a beautie. I never told the person that gave it to me how much it is worth. I gave her a nice rather new machine about 10 yrs. ago. So it all evens out. Enjoy your Maggie, I know I will enjoy mine. Rowena101

What a great gift! She is beautiful!!

She is a beauty! Enjoy!

Pinkberrykay,
I have a small business cleaning and maintaining Featherweights, been doing for about 10 years and have 4 featherweights of my own.
When I clean a Featherweight; I use the blue shop paper towels you find at Wal-Mart and a bamboo skewer to clean all the old grease off of the gears on the top and bottom of the machine. When its clean, I put new Singer Lube on the gears, just squeeze a bit on your finger and smear it on the gears, turning the hand wheel toward you so that you get the entire gear. You'll also need to put Singer Lube in the grease ports in the motor; NEVER any oil in the motor.
Put 1 drop of sewing machine oil in each of the oil holes and wherever else your manual shows you.
Sharon W. in Texas

a real beauty.