Featherweight Fanatics List Archives
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Featherweight Fanatics
Digest of postings from Friday, October 1, 1999
Welcome to all our new members!
To post a message - send it to: FWFanatics@ttsw.com
To post a message to the For sale list - sent it to: FWForSale@ttsw.com
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Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1999 23:38:19 -0500
From: J Hollibaugh
Subject: FW
Just happened across your page while researching info on a Singer 306W I
recently bought my daughter as her first sewing machine. I didn't find
much on it, but she is doing well with it and it seems to be trouble free.
I have found an older Singer that is a straight stitch with no reverse that
I am thinking about getting. I called Singer and the said the SN of
AE581759 is a model 15. I notice, after reading the archives, that there
are several sub categories of this model. Would this be a good machine to
get my wife for quilting? I would appreciate any comments on these two
machines. Thank you!
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Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1999 22:00:44 -0500
From: "V. Louise Bequette"
Subject: Questions
Hello FWFers:
I have a FW that is noisy in the bobbin area also. Graham, you were
going to send a repair note to someone else with this problem. Would you
share it with the group also; I would like to get mine quieter, too.
Had a White Rotary follow me home recently - accidentally! They took the
offer we made. Actually it is one of the best treadle bases we have
seen; hardly any chips in the veneer. However the finish over most of
the base was heavily cracked or crazed; we have stripped the drawers and
found a nice medium oak finish. The serial number is: FR 2368241; does
anyone know how old it is? The head will probably be o.k., too. Does
anyone need a Domestic buttonholer set? Send me an email if you do.
We ended up with the White as we went to look at a bunch of drawers at
this antique place, and found what we needed. However, there were 12-14
drawers, in different styles, and you had to buy them all - for $170,
firm! There were two oval front drawers, at least one set of 4 drawers
with a black finish, and several with chrome trim at the bottom of the
drawer. Anyone interested? At least two that matched what we needed were
not in good shape, but others were.
Millie: how great you got your crinkle finished FW early.
Now to find - or take - time to sew again. Louise in mid-Missouri
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From: Roger Jackson
Subject: Sewing Machine Question
Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 09:27:22 -0500
Recently when my mother was forced to clean out her numerous FWs, she found
a machine that she had bought at a garage sale for practically nothing. It
is very similar to the Featherweight in appearance, but it was made by a
company called FUKUSUKI. It is a lot heavier than a FW. She was
wondering, if anyone knew anything about this company and the machine
(i.e., what it may be worth, where it came from, etc). Can anyone help her
with this info?
Thanks,
Debbie
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Date: Fri, 01 Oct 1999 10:42:39 -0400 (EDT)
From: Margaret Best
Subject: who to trust?
Hello to my FWF friends. I have been here, lurking since Sue set up the list,
and now I have to ask you for help.
I live in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and have so far been able to take care of my
precious sewing machines myself. Now I have a 201 that needs more knowledgeable help. Do any of you know of a repair person in southeast Michigan or the Toledo, Ohio, area that I could trust? I need someone who would treat this machine with the respect and tenderness it deserves, even though it is old and heavy.
Ypsilanti is near Ann Arbor. Maybe I will have to drive this machine to
Woodstock Ontario to have Mike Hulet work on it, but there must be some good
repair person nearer. Who do you know?
Many thanks, Margaret Best
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From: "Sharon Kucey"
Subject: Help with dirty machine
Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 08:54:12 -0700
We have a 1935 FW that has 60 years of grime on it and need some hits about
cleaning it. It has obviously been smoked on for many, many years. We've
never had one this difficult to clean and don't want to use anything that
might damage the machine.
Thanks for any help.
Cheers, Sharon in Victoria (Llama Mama)
skucey@coastnet.com
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From: "Philip D. Stieg M.D."
Subject: for the digest
>Dear Feathers -
>
>I have lurking for several months, enjoying the digest but had never posted. Finally, I chuckled at Graham's query as to what a "fat quarter" is.
>Graham - it is an american quilting expression.
>our fabric is sold by the yard - 36 inches long and 45 inches wide.
>if you were to purchase a quarter yard you would normally receive a piece
>9 inches long and 45 inches wide....
>For quilters, the nine inch length is not always very useful, so quilt shops will cut a piece of fabric 18 inches long, but instead of getting the whole width of 45 inches, you get half the normal width, or approximately 22 inches ...
>if you can visualize this, it is still the same amount of fabric, but cut in a more useful way, hence the name 'fat quarter'.
>
>I also just purchased yesterday an old Singer for $40. I saw this machine a week ago and finally had to go back. I have no idea why this machine kept dancing in my thoughts nor what I shall do with or where I am going to put it. Is that what happens to us who collect? Something about this machine cried...'take me home'...and I knew I had to go back and buy it. Now I am wondering how to identify it...
>it weighs a ton, has a wonderful scroll plate, uses a curved piece of metal that fits into a key slot to drive the machine and the case cover is domed. Is there a book with photos that identifies old Singer's. I know I am showing my ignorance but am a novice collector and have much to learn.
>This same dealer also had two featherweights for sale at $350 and $550 respectively and a 301 sans case for $345 - which seemed way overpriced to me.
>This was in Adamstown, Pa.
>
>I myself have a centennial featherweight in wonderful condition which I dearly love as well as my mother's black 301A which I learned to sew on as a child - in a blond wood cabinet of all things.
>I certainly enjoy the daily postings and you all have taught me many things in the short time I've been getting the digest.
>
>Rosemary Stieg, in south central Pa where everyone is knowledgeable
> about FW's and such is reflected in the prices. :+(
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From: Mundy Gary L CNIN
Subject: FEATHERWEIGHT
Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 16:08:02 -0500
I have a Featherweight with a case and attachments in excellent condition.
It has table, very substantial with folding legs, and a little insert which
you take out for the machine to sit in. The table was factory made and
especially for the machine. I have never seen one like it on the web or
elsewhere. Have you seen before?
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Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 19:31:18 -0400
From: Carla Lopez
Subject: Collecting
>> It's impossible to rescue everything --- we'd all have thousands of
machines each --- secret is to be selective in our collecting. <<
Oh my....how true Graham....Years ago I made friends with a couple who had
an antique gallery. They advised me to get the best I could and work my
way up. That's what I do.
Although I'm less into collecting than finding & finding good homes for my
discoveries.
I don't have the means to properly protect and care for all my
acquisitions. I only keep very special ones....mostly the undiscovered
treasures that wouldn't find a good home easily.
Carla
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Date: Fri, 1 Oct 1999 16:37:59 -0700 (PDT)
From: Kent and Shirley Larsen
Subject: Millennium Quilt Block Exchange
Hi all,
Well, October 1st is here--the deadline for the
Millennium Quilt Block Exchange. If you have your
blocks in the mail, and have not told me--please do so
as soon as possible. I don't want to start dividing
blocks and miss someone.
The blocks are beautiful, and the fabrics chosen to
represent state or country are fantastic. This will
be a quilt that will have a special place in my
home--made by many acquaintances through the sewing
machine lists.
Thanks to all who participated, and for the support
you gave me. I will get the blocks back to you as
soon as I can.
Nearing the end of a great experience, Shirley in Utah
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Join my Millennium Quilt Block Exchange (Due Date Oct 1, 1999). Email me for Details!
Dream Machines: *Singer Model 66 HC (Egyptian Lotus Decal) & *Singer Model 24 HC & *Model 48K HC & *Parlor Cabinet Treadle
TOBE Machines: *1909 Singer 27 Treadle--Was my Paternal Grandmother's (TOBE #1)
*1939 Singer 28K HC TOBE #2) *Battle of Britain Singer 66K HC (soon to be here)
*1878 Singer 12K HC TS *1923 Willcox and Gibbs HC Chainstitch
*1920 Frister & Rossmann HC TS *1925 Singer 99K HC (TOBE #3)
*1923 Singer 128K HC (TOBE #4)
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