Mother's Day came early...

I have fallen hard for vintage Singer sewing machines.

 The love affair began a little over a year ago, when I bought my lovely Belle, a Singer 15-91.  She came to live with us so I could have a trusty little straight stitch to use for all my piecing; which would allow me to use my modern Janome for quilting, saving me from resetting tensions back and forth.  Plus, logic said that it would also mean I could have more than one quilt (bag, pillow or other sewing project) on the go this way.   Yes, Belle allowed that and then some.  It didn't take me long to discover her talents extended beyond simple piecing and that she was much more than a pretty face!  That girl could stitch through any material I put in front of her, without a complaint or bad stitch. 

Belle captured my heart, but she is not a portable machine, so I daydreamed about expanding my vintage machine family to include at least one more member.  You guessed it.  I set my sights on finding myself a Featherweight.  You may know how revered they are by quilters as they make lovely machines to take along for quilting classes and they only weigh 11lbs.  I decided that it was only a matter of time before I would find the ONE (good working condition, with a case & attachments AND at an affordable price... )  Imagine my delight when I told my hubby about an ad I found for beautiful white Featherweight (priced below market value) and he immediately responded with, "Would you like  it for your Mother's Day gift?"

My answer is pictured below. ;o)

My new to me, 221 Featherweight in white (which I heard is rarer -fewer made- than black, but not sure if that's true or not)!

The lovely lady selling this machine also owned a Featherweight 222 in black, which was a treat to get to see and sew on!  The only reason she was selling the 221, is that she's moving into a smaller home and couldn't take all her machines with her.

I had never seen a Featherweight in person, so I couldn't get over just how miniature they are compared to the machine I regularly use!  She may be tiny, but she goes about sewing just as beautifully as her big sister, Belle does (only even quieter!).

I was pleased to find that the original case had been kept in good condition, with everything intact and working.  I even have the key for the locks!  The front of the machine lifts up to allow her to fit quite comfortably into her case.  Neat, tidy and ready to travel!

From left to right (top row): Edge stitcher, Ruffler, Binder, Adjustable Hemmer
(bottom row, left to right): Zipper foot, Foot Hemmer, Gathering Foot

Along with the adjustable cloth guide, my little beauty came with 7 attachments beyond the regular foot.  Belle has some of the same feet, but there are others that are new to me, and I can't wait to try them out.

Can you tell that I'm in love?

Just as we were ready to leave after buying the Featherweight, my husband and I spotted this vintage machine case.  Curious as to the contents...

when the cover was lifted, we couldn't believe the little gem hidden inside!  Shiny and in immaculate condition, I had to wonder if she'd ever been used.

This Singer 99K looked so amazing, that when the lady said we could take it for a few $,  I was tempted.  Feeling that I already had won the lottery, I couldn't believe when my hubby said, "Yes, we want it, please."  This pretty girl had caught his eye as well.  Afterwards, he said that he couldn't fathom leaving her behind - a machine this well kept and low priced couldn't be passed by.

I believe I left the seller's house walking on air.  Possibly the only thing holding me down was the solid weight of those machines in my hands. ;o)

I think it's safe to say that I'm officially a vintage Singer sewing machine collector and that my husband is my enabler. ;o)

My "enabler" was keen to get these new treasures home and get them going.  We were certain that all the 99K needed was simple tension adjusting, but knew we had more to deal with on the Featherweight as we test sewed with her and knew that something wasn't adjusted properly.  I had every confidence that we'd get her set to rights once we had chance to play with her.  Turned out that someone had improperly placed the bobbin case holder in the machine.  Once that was taken care of, away we flew!   Now I just have to settle on names for these lovely ladies - you knew that was coming, right? ;o)

I'm over the moon with my early Mother's Day gifts (husband and sons jokingly said that this must cover next year's Mother's Day as well... ;o).   Any guesses where to find me on Mother's Day?

Wishing each of you a wonderful Mother's Day this weekend!