You should be able to get a button holer for the 301 - look for the one that is not marked "professional" but marked for slant-o-matic. The template goes in on the bottom. The professional template goes in on the top. The not professional buttonholers move the material back and forth. The professional is made to use with a zig zag. I like the not professional better anyway - evil grin - I can make them work.......

plate number 86748 is the T shaped plate as shown on the ismacs site. NO that monogramer won't work with the 301 - that one does use zigzag. There is another model but I don't know if it works without zigzag. I'll go look at mine. Somehow I'm thinking it has to have zigzag and it was the less expensive model. I took it out and looked at it - nope it has to go on a zigzag machine... sorry about that.

ok I'm going to attempt to load a picture of the two NOT professional button holers that work on the 301

Ok the professional button holer opens in the top for the template

OK. I understand the difference now. So starting with the 400 series machines they did zigzag without an attachment?

Hummm....a few days ago I told Billy he had started me on the hunt for a 501 after saying he thought they were about the best Singer ever made. So now I will probably definately want to find one.

My new Brother machine does all that fancy stuff, though, so....DH is probably going to nix the "buy another machine" idea. He already doesn't understand why I "need" the 5 I have!! LOL

The numbers for them is:
401 (built in zigzag and other decorative stitches)
403 (my preference but needs a top hat to zigzag and do the decorative stitches - it also has more stitch width control than the 401 or the 500)
500 (built in zigzag - pretty much the same internals - just has a different body than the 401)
503 (also needs a top hat to zigzag - same as 403 inside but has a different body)
The 404 and the 301 have slant needles but straight stitch only. All but the 301 have a drop in bobbin. There are some other models of 400 series as well. I also have a 411G and a 401G. (they were made in Germany and they are a bit different) They are ALL excellent machines. The 401G was found in the trash and in horrible, horrible, horrible condition. I started messing with it anyway and sort of fell in love. At one point I took it in to a repairman to get a cord (he's 92 and still going strong) He looked at it and his eyes got big. He said he'd never seen the 401G. So we looked it over and he said that one was well worth fixing up! So I did - it took me a year and a lot of trial and error. I learned SSSSSOOOOOOO much. It works. I had to clean dog poo, cigarette smoke, rust, gunky oil, the whole thing was frozen up - nothing moved. Then I tried to put an old Necchi foot on it and threw the timing off (blush) I found a service manual for the 500 and learned how to do the timing, clean out the cam stack, etc. We pulled the motor and DH cleaned it up. That whole machine works slick now!

Green Sphinx Update: Pictures ~ I talked the owner into letting me clean and polish her, so with her permission I am posting some pictures.

I compared the decals to my Sphinx and they are the same decal just tinted differently. I previously wondered if it could be like the Brown Lotus - paint color tint issue making it more rare???

Does anyone have any ideas? SN# C7770783 which indicates that it was manufactured in Prussia Germany - but the records have been lost.

Judy

I saw on line that the 401G can be hooked up to a treadle because of the openings in the base - it would need a different balance wheel though - there is info on line:
German Singer 401G:
http://www.toolfool.org/sewing/index.htm

and

making it a treadle:
http://www.toolfool.org/sewing/401G-...d-Electric.htm

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to treadle mine - that would be the BOMB!! I wonder where to get a balance wheel like that? Could one be made?

more on the 400G series
Same website different page
http://www.toolfool.org/sewing/German-400.htm

Thought I might show off my Japan 15 Clone. She looks very similar to a Necchi but without decals. Very shinny, sews wonderfully, and came with a box of attachments :)

I don't know, call me crazy, but everytime I look at her, she reminds me of the classic "little black dress" - so that is what I call her.

Judy

For those of you new-ish to FW world here are some of the accessories I have collected for short shank machines. I didn't bother with my BH pix but I just took some today. Let me see if I can get them on here; ;)