As with any vintage Singer sewing machine, you can find its approximate date of production (and factory location) at the Singer Sewing Machine Serial Number Database. These are rare and sell for considerably more than the standard flatbed 221 model. A free-arm version, the Singer 222, was manufactured in Clydebank, Scotland, though not for the American market. Only small refinements and variations were made over the decades. Manufactured from 1933 through 1968 without a major redesign, it had one of the longest runs of any sewing machine model. It’s strong enough for making jeans and sensitive enough for sewing through silk chiffon-with a different needle, of course. The Featherweight has excellent piercing power. In fact, people who have never sewn with a Featherweight may be surprised how smooth and silent a sewing machine can be. Best of all, perhaps, is it’s virtually silent and extremely smooth. Despite sporting a 0.4-amp motor, it’s capable of everything a full-size vintage straight-stitch sewing machine can do. The case adds a few pounds to the machine’s weight but keeps the machine dust-free and secure. The Black Featherweight comes in a wooden carrying case covered in black fabric or, later, in vinyl. It uses the same low-shank feet and accessories as full-size Singer sewing machines, and comes with its own carrying case for easy transport and storage. A half-size machine made from aluminum, it weighs slightly more than 11 pounds. The Featherweight is splendidly designed and constructed. The Singer Featherweight is admired and sought after for a number of other reasons besides its diminutive size. Perhaps they remind us of being little ourselves. What is it about small versions of big things that so many people find charming? It’s not just sewing machines, think teacup Chihuahuas and dollhouses. When discussing the popularity of Featherweights, we mustn’t overlook the “cute” factor. Little did I realize at the time it wouldn’t be my last.įeatherweights often come with their original wooden cases but, if being shipped, the machine should be packed carefully inside the case to avoid damage. It took a few years before I finally succumbed to the Featherweight fever-could they really be so special, I wondered? I found my first Singer Featherweight on eBay. It seems I was born with the collector’s gene. One of the machines I heard people raving most about on blogs and sewing community sites like was the Singer Featherweight, also known as the Singer 221. I learned to sew exclusively on vintage sewing machines and realized almost immediately that one machine was not going to be enough for me.
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