Cute. Petite. Lightweight. Sometimes classy in black or white, sometimes colorful. Comparable to the Energizer bunny – it just keeps going and going. What am I talking about? Just the best sewing machine ever – the Singer Featherweight! Basically, it is everything I want to be! (Cute, lightweight, and classy? Yes!)
This sewing machine is quite possibly the coolest sewing machine ever made. I love these machines like Cookie Monster loves cookies. I want them all! I want more and more and more! And my husband says why, why, and why? Ha!
Are you familiar with Singer Featherweights? Do you own one? If not, you may be on the hunt for one soon. Because, they are fabulous and you are going to fall in love.
What Even Is a Featherweight?
A Singer Featherweight is perhaps the most sought-after American sewing machine in history. It was manufactured by the Singer Sewing Machine Co. between the years of 1933 to 1968. It is called a Featherweight because of its portability and light weight of only 11 pounds, 1 ounce. There are two types of Featherweights – Model 221 and Model 222. Both of these models look very similar, however, the 222 is not as common and it has a removable bed that allows it to become a free-arm. There are also some other minor differences that are harder to spot.
So, what makes these machines so special?
In a time when sewing machines were incredibly heavy and difficult to maneuver, these small machines came out and basically became instant best friends with homemakers, seamstresses, and mothers. It was the perfect machine to keep at home. It is strong enough to sew through denim and other heavy fabrics, but also sensitive enough to handle something as flimsy as chiffon beautifully. It was the perfect multi-purpose sewing machine to keep at home and was lightweight enough to keep it stored away when not in use. All of that holds true for today, as well. These machines have a simple straight stitch – and it is a darn good one! They are known for their beautiful and perfectly straight stitches.
Where can I find one?
Now this is a good question! Since these machines are no longer being manufactured, where can one be bought? A good place to start is Ebay. There are always some listed there. However, be an informed buyer because there are a lot of scammers out there. Ask plenty of questions and do your research. If an online deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Other places to look are at local quilt shops. Some shops have a few that they have acquired along the way and are re-selling. Also, antique shops are known to have them.
I have acquired two from antique shops and gotten a great deal on both. It is my dream to walk into my local resale shop and find one for $10 that some clueless person dropped off and had no idea what they even had in their possession.
Caution: You May Get Sticker Shock…
Yeah, I’m going to warn you newbies now, these machines aren’t cheap! Prepare to spend some money, honey. (But just know, that you won’t be disappointed! These little workhorses are so worth it!) Prices vary depending on the year of manufacture, color, etc. Once you dig into the research of these little beauties, you will find so much more information than I can fit into this one article. There is a database online that matches up serial numbers to dates of manufacture. Many people like to try to buy one that shares their birth year. So fun! Others look for specific models, like Centennial models.
Whether or not the machine comes with the original bobbin case, cord, and case are also factors in the price. It’s not unusual for them to be $1000 or more. If you’re lucky, you may get one for $500. I saw one that recently sold for almost $15,000!
Colors
The Featherweight Sewing Machine came in three colors – black, white, and beige. However, sometimes some of the whites and beiges are in different shades of white and beige – some have even had a green tint in the white. It all depends on how the paint was mixed in the factory. So know that there are variations of the three colors – black, white, and beige. Those were the original colors, but these days you can have one painted in whatever color you want! And many sewists have done just that!
You can find Featherweights in beautifully painted colors. Many purists, would never advise you to paint a sewing machine. However, many of these old machines need a little TLC and a paint job only enhances the machine. There is no right or wrong answer to having one painted. It’s a personal decision about your machine. You do you, Boo.
Check out their selection of Featherweights – or send them your Featherweight and they will paint it for you!
Other Resources
If you want to learn more about the Singer Featherweight sewing machines, a great place to start is with this book, Featherweight 221 The Perfect Portable and Its Stitches Across History by Nancy Johnson-Srebro. It is an amazing resource!
Another great resource is The Featherweight Shop. This online store has tons of information, helpful tutorials, replacement parts, and even sells Featherweight machines. It is definitely worth checking out!
for more information on their machines.
(Because they do giveaway contests and you’re going to want in on that!)
Hello? Are you still here? Oh, I see you heading out the door to go check your local antique store! But be careful! These bad boys are addictive! You may end up with more than one! (Ask me how I know that?) LOL! Anywho, have fun diving into the world of Featherweights!
‘Til next time,
Beth
P.S. For those of us that love Featherweights (regardless of if you own one or not!), how cute are these socks?? Love!
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Hip Stitch, a quilting supply shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has a Featherweight department that repairs and sells Featherweights and paints them. They’re expensive. It may be worth looking at flea markets for them, however. I bought a Featherweight at a big flea market here in Albuquerque for $99.95 plus tax. It didn’t work but I figured it was worth having it repaired as I’d wanted one for many years. Fixing it cost under $50.
Yes, truly they are the best little workhorse. I have three of them, one bought that was made the year I was born in. I go camping in our RV and it is the perfect machine to take and make quilts in the middle of the forest or wherever I am. Nice to know that there are other Featherweight “freaks”out there! LOL
If you have the time and enjoy the chase….shopping for one on eBay, antique markets , or antique shops….can be fun. I was very recently at this place in wanting a featherweight 221 for a very long time. Although I love the chase..I loved the idea of actually owning one even more. I did my research and my final conclusion was to purchase one from the Featherweight Shop. I’m glad I did!!! They are lovely to work with and I believe they are the gold standard for featherweight purchasing. They are honest and fully transparent. Their grading system is stringent, and detailed …….its based on specific criteria. They sell only high graded machines..that are truly pristine. They are all fully functional and are beautiful on the inside and outside. They will work as they state right out if the box..no repairs needed. They are polished, appropriately restored..motor included. They are simply as near to perfect as you can get. Of course there is a wide price variation based on how rare the model is and condition….but everything they sell is beautiful…regardless of the price. Expect to pay around $1100.00 at the lowest range. These machines also include All original parts, bobbins, and cases! For purists they sell them in their original state ..my
preference. They also sell them fully restored in the most wonderful vintage colors..truly eye candy. As a special note …their packaging and shipping is second to none. As they state …buying from the featherweight shop is a distinguishing experience! Now..full transparency ..because of the demand for their machines …it can be difficult to actually buy one!!! Check out their website for instructions on purchasing ..through their monthly featherweight faire!
also know ..they have a fabulous website that includes everything you might want for your featherweight..parts and accessories. Also on the website are the most beautiful vintage style fabrics from leading designers.
clearly I’m one satisfied customer! I have a fleet of many machines in my working studio..”Renee Sews” studio …including a new Bernina! …but this recent purchase is so very special!
hoping this overview was helpful!
happy stitching!❤️✂️🧵
I found one at the dump so I took it had it fixed for 160.00
I found one bumped next to a British bottle bank. I guess someone was clearing our granny’s home and found two singer machines, an older one in a curved wooden case, and I almost didn’t look in the second black case. I only looked as I thought it contained LP’s!!!
once I had googled how to thread it, I plugged it in and off it went. It’s a wonderful machine.
I was truly blessed that day seeing this machine on a rainy Tuesday morning.
I have three model 221 and they are in excellent condition condition. My husband purchased them for me around 1962.
My mother purchased a brand new Featherweight in 1942 from a door to door salesman. My parents budget at that time had $.75 to spare each week and she had to pay $.50 a week to pay off the machine. She loved it, made all of my sister and my clothes, doll clothes and did loads of mending. My dad was less than happy, I don’t know the total cost of the machine at that time, but during the war, things were really tight. Then in 1966, she traded it in ( I think the store gave her $125.00) to buy my first singer model 603 Touch and Sew for my college graduation. I was thrilled, but she missed her Featherweight even though she had a newer singer and her mother’s older machine in a table. Then her sister gave her a Featherweight that she owned and over the years found two more in auctions and garage sales. So, I have one of those, plus two others from folks who had no need for a sewing machine and didn’t know the value. I use one at my cottage (along with my Viking Epic 2) and a Singer model 99K which is a little bit bigger than the Featherweight., one at our home I take to quilting at the Senior Center and one spare. I still look for presser feet at garage sales, because for reasons I can’t imagine, you can many times find a machine, but none of the accessories or manuals that came with the original machine.
Thanks, Beth. for telling us your story and your love of this great little workhorse.
After a coworker showed me her new white! Featherweight circa 1968 and the dresses she made with “bonded” wool. Remember that? A layer of flimsy wool with a glued-on thin backing. I had to have that machine. None of the Singer stores around Boston had any. Later I tried one farther way, in Raynham, and they had one for $50. It needed some rewiring for another $25. It was built like a Swiss watch. It was my first sewing machine (I made a couple of hand-stitched dresses before.) The 1970’s brought us knits. Remember heavy heavy double-knit polyester polyester for $17 a yard? Suitable only for pants-suits, but little old ladies paid for this ugly fabric to make pants suits in any color they could find including ugly purple. Later I found excellent Heller wool jersey double knits but needed zig-zag so seams would not burst. Singer had no stretch stitch in their top-of-the-line Golden Touch and Sew and recommended a narrow zig-zag setting, but Sears had a stretch stitch model which included 8 free classes. You don’t realize how much you miss department stores until they disappear. I bought every Kenmore accessory that fit my machine and made my own underwear, and many lovely things including three woolen coats. When I moved into my small apartment and needed to downsize, I reluctantly said goodbye to my Featherweight and sold it to my local Singer store which gave me $100 for it about fifteen years ago. Glad to know they are now treasured because they are so worth it. Now we need better fabrics but no one has the time to sew their own and fine fabrics have disappeared from the marketplace. I almost forgot, Later at a yard sale I found four zig-zag Featherweight accessory cams which attached just above the needle and made zig-zag stitches (one plain, three fancy) patterns, but realized their jerky movements could ruin the machine and tossed them. Someone said they were valuable.