Posted 12 years ago
Pam-and-J.…
(45 items)
We began this collection of Singer Featherweights - "Blackside Editions" with the hope of gifting each, to one of our "5" daughters. That collection is now complete! "3" are of the earlier "July 1st, 1941" production run and "2" are from the post WW II period "Sept. 19th, 1945" run. We are now in the process "accessoring" each, with "Blackside" attachments, bobbins, etc.... We find this unique variation of the Featherweight, just Charming.... (Thanks to "Darla Trenner" for the expert guidance!)
ps. A few of our other 221's are pictured "inside" the cabinet - more on those, later....
Pam & J.C.
One of the finest collections I have ever seen.
Outstanding. Looking forward to seeing more of your collection.
Thank you so much for the kind comments. We appreciate it.
Truth be told, of the Featherweights we do have, one, the first my wife purchased in the late '80's, a Pre-War II 1936 model, is her most prized, most worn, has pieced the most quilts, & is her absolute favorite!
I have a pre-WW II Singer 221K I'd like to know where to go to get its worth. Any info you can give me would be greatly appreciated. It is in great shape!
Thanks.
P. Lappin,
There are many - many variations , even in the Pre-War II Singer Featherweights. Their value is determined by rarity, desirability, completeness, & condition.
Can you tell us more about yours?
Such cool machines! Are you guys still using these?
Certainly! They're all in fine running condition...My wife Pam uses a '37 221-1 at home for piecing quilt tops and a '35 at the quilt store. She prfers the "Pre-War" machines.
Thanks for the comment!
J.C.
Thanks for responding. First I'd like to correct my initial statement that this machine is a pre-WWII machine. I don't know. I bought it in 1951 in Baytown, Texas - new. I really don't see much about the machine to further describe it. There is quite a lot of information on the Motor in the way of Serial numbers, etc., but not much on the machine itself, other than the identifying Singer logo, .etc. In one place it does say St. Johns P.O., and another Made in Canada. What kind of more information would help to identify it?
The serial # will tell us much. It is located on the bottom of the machine starting with "2" Letters e.g., AG 92xxx. Other features might be a descitption of what is on the "badge", does the case have a tray, are the bed decals in good condition?, etc...
"continued" from recent comment. Maybe the motor info would be helpful in identifying this machine of mine. Cat CAJ6-8; 110-120 volts; 0.4 amp; 24-75 cyc & DC; SSAU61-11-8. I no longer have the Instruction Book, but do have the Button Hole attachment instruction book and the attachment.
It is a little beauty of a machine. I've used it very little. I worked all my life and my job was all consuming - so I had very little "spare time", but I held onto the machine for "someday". Now that "someday" is here and I bought one of the newer - do everything machines. I'm not ready to give this machine up, but am interested in its value. I recently took the machine in to be cleaned, oiled, etc., just a routine check-up and had a tough time getting it back. It was declared "lost" - but I perservered, and did finally get the machine returned - and that was the second time I had this occur - in different shops. Just got me to wondering.
Thanks.
go to the Singer website. They have a history of serial numbers matching where the machines were built and when.
To my way of thinking, Featherweights are the greatest. I have two and I am not a quilter!!
On the bottom of my Singer Featherweight there are the following numbers:
ES6577253
SIMANCO
45855
457728 23
HGL
3
Replying to P.Lappin, you seem to have too many numbers in the serial number so eliminating one of the 7's,in ES6577253 and using ES657253, I have the following:
ES- 648144 658143 221K 10000 May 15 1961
On the Singer site all ES models seem to have been made 1960 and later.
Priceless. I'm in search for the blackside face plate too. You are lucky to have 5 of them.
Thanks for your comments,
We've been fortunate in acquiring the pieces to our group...there are many more "Rare" "Scarce", & "one-of-a-kinds" out there!
The "5" Blacksides" have now found their new homes with our daughters. The girls arrived from around the country to celebrate their Mother's Birthday and Mom's Day, assembled "Burrito Pillowcases", ate much, had a "Sleepover" and a movie, and left with their machines, hopefully to pass on to another generation!
I have a 1941 blackside Featherweight with silver decals. The Singer on the lamp shade and on the back of the arm are also silver. How many Featherweights had silver decals and were Featherweights the only machines with silver decals?
Hi, Dinatale. :-)
I wonder whether the decals on your featherweight were damaged through improper cleaning. Gold decals turned silver is unfortunately a not uncommon mishap.
*snip*
If the clearcoat has worn off or been removed from your Featherweight machine, and your decals are exposed, be very gentle with any cleaning and waxing around the decals, or avoid them as much as possible. Exposed decals can sometimes be the wild card depending on what they have been exposed to over the years. If the decals are silver, the machine has no clearcoat left in that area, so proceed very carefully. A light coat of wax, however, will help to keep them from diminishing further but too much friction from rubbing too hard isn’t good either. You need to find a happy medium in being gentle but still giving it a good wax to protect it.
*snip*
https://singer-featherweight.com/blogs/schoolhouse/cleaning-and-polishing
Here are replacement decal sets for Featherweights, but they're all gold:
https://singer-featherweight.com/search?q=waterslide+decals
It still would be interesting to read what Pam-and-J.C.Elliott have to say on the subject.
Hmmm, this purveyor sells silver decal sets for several different Singer models:
https://www.singerdecals.com/singer-201-sewing-machine-waterslide-restoration-decals-silver/
However, one of the silver decal sets they offer for the Featherweights is based on a model 66:
https://www.singerdecals.com/custom-singer-221-featherweight-decals-for-restorations-filigree-design-silver/
At first I thought the decals were worn but then I noticed the Singer name is painted silver.
Dinatale, I'm not sure that I understand what you mean by the Singer name being painted silver.
If you're talking about the Singer name that appears in the middle of the horizontal arm, that's a decal, or it was originally.
See a worker removing the decal transfer materials here at around the 17:33 mark in the circa 1934 documentary made at Singer's Kilbowie/Clydebank factory:
https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/1592
Or are you talking about something else?
Yes, I realize the Singer on the lamp shade and horizontal arm are decals. I was just trying to explain that all the markings are silver. I've taken photos and will post those soon.
Dinatale, OK, that would be best. :-)
FWIW, the Singer Featherweight site offers three different varieties of decal sets for Featherweights:
https://singer-featherweight.com/search?q=waterslide+decals
There are two basic patterns (Celtic Knot, and Paperclip), but the Celtic Knot decal set for 1937-1953 Featherweights is available in Gold, Silver, Gold/Silver, and Black:
https://singer-featherweight.com/products/decals-gold-celtic-knot-style-1937-1953?variant=12262066978908
So it does appear that Featherweights produced 1937-1953 might have come in a variety of different colored decals.
How many were produced with silver decals, I don't know. Hopefully, Pam-and-J.C.Elliott will weigh in on this, as they are the experts.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/744634088944400/permalink/8358395684234831/?mibextid=apRVKm
Check out my post 1942 singer 15-@1 “Blackside”