They Laughed When I Told Them I was Going to Buy an Old Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine.....

And then it turned out that all my friends already had Singer Featherweights!

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Ah, a sewing machine.

Most quilters consider a sewing machine a necessary tool of the trade.

Yes, there are quilters among us who hold onto tradition and stitch their patches by hand. But, by and large, most quilters use a sewing machine to sew the patches in their quilt tops together.

When I first began quilting, I had a very inexpensive sewing machine. Although I was constantly frustrated with it, I continued to use it, thinking it was my problem - and had nothing to do with the machine.

As I attended quilt workshops, I noticed that several quilters were using these small, old sewing machines.

Finally I decided to ask about them, and was I in for an education.

Not only were these little machines light and easy to carry to classes, but they were little workhorses - just keep them oiled and they kept on sewing.

It turns out that the Singer Sewing Machine Company made these many years ago for home sewing, and quilters discovered the benefits of using them for quilting.

Over the years, we have seen a steady stream of emails from How-to-Quilt.com Newsletter Subscribers telling us how much they love their old Singer machines, or would love to own one. I thought I would share just a few of them with you.

My Singer is ready for me to sew anytime I'm ready. I bought the machine on ebay and actually got it for a very reasonable price. It was a factory reburbished machine, and it is perfect. Margaret Roosa What about an old fashion hand cranked Singer? E-bay to the rescue. I've had my Singer for 2 weeks and it goes beautifully (and nice and slowly!) Chris Hobson I would love to have an older Featherweight someday. Or, maybe a new one. Never know. Susan Emge Milliner

My Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine with a fabric bunny in it.

 

And so it is confirmed that quilters around the world will keep these little machines going for many lifetimes.

There are five other popular brands
among our newsletter subscribers –
Janome, Pfaff, Brother, Bernina, and Viking.

Toni likes her Janome 6500 because “there is more space between the inside of the machine and the needle. You can also purchase a foot that will help you do "stitch in the ditch" when you are ready to begin tackling beginning quilting.” Bev and Fara like their Pfaff sewing machines because of the built in walking foot (Integrated Dual Feed) which makes their machine quilting easier and keeps them from having to buy a separate foot. Nieka likes her Pfaff because it is easy to set the stitch length. Laura has both a Brother and Viking. She likes the Brother as an inexpensive “starter” machine, and says that it is highly recommended by a quilting teacher. Her new machine is a Viking (bought for her by her husband). This machine features an interactive design screen for embroidery and fancy stitching. And Kim likes Bernina machines and has owned them for many years. Bernina has machines designed specifically for quilters with a stitch regulator for machine quilting and a knee lift – which allows you to lift the “presser foot with your knee keeping both of your hands free to handle your project!!” Kim wouldn’t live without this feature.

For those who asked the question about which machine to buy, I hope the personal experiences of these quilters gives you some insight as to what features are important to quilters and what you might look for as you shop for your new sewing machine.

Keep in mind that used sewing machines are also a great option. I use a Singer Featherweight, purchased many years ago, for all of my quilting – both patchwork piecing and machine quilting. It is small, lightweight, and a little workhorse. I keep it oiled and cleaned, and periodically take it to the local Sew and Vac for a checkup, and (like the Energizer Bunny), it keeps going and going.

The Ultimate Sewing Machine Buying Checklist

Whether you are in the market for a new sewing machine, used machine, Singer sewing machine, Brother sewing machine, or Janome machine, The Ultimate Sewing Machine Buying Checklist will help guide the way for you to make a choice that you will be happy with for years to come.

This 12 page Checklist is jam-packed with questions and organized in a way that makes it easy for you to compare machines as you do your shopping.

This great information is available to you immediately as an electronic download. You will be on your way to owning the perfect sewing machine in just a few short minutes.

The Ultimate Sewing Machine Checklist

 

Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren
www.How-to-Quilt.com
www.TheQuiltingCoach.com
www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com

Penny is a quilter of more than 28 years who seeks to interest new quilters and provide them with the resources necessary to create beautiful quilts.

This article courtesy of http://www.How-to-Quilt.com.
You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

©2009-10, Penny Halgren

 

 

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