Excellent Sewing Machine for avid quilters alike. I love it Stitch Performance The durability and quality of the stitching is absolutely supurb. Stitching is tight, clean and neat Ease of Use Very easy to use...for problems, see your simple care and instructions guide. I haven't had to call anyone for my problems...I was able to figure it out by following their guide Fabric Handling I sew all kinds of delicate fabrics such as silk and cotton on my machine...I love it. I have never saw a machine that helps you perfectly sew like a Singer machine Design I love the design...Reminds me of my grandmothers and mothers Singer Sewing Machines,,,They had a old pump machine, the 4th year Singer had came out with machines, and my moms was a cabinet singer just like this one...I LOVE IT Durability VERY DURABLE AND DEPENDABLE

denisebrooks

Piney Flats, TN

I love this beauty! I have a soft spot for the heavy duty machine of old design and this one fits the bill! Very quiet to run, accurate in operations, dependable and long lasting, unfortunately it did gasp its last about a year ago so I've moved on to the next best thing, Elna. Stitch Performance Smooth, tight, regular dependable. Each day used I could depend on reliable uniform stitches no matter what kind I asked for, straight, zig zag, and it didn't matter if the material was thick or thin. Sometimes with thin material you get binding, not here. Ease of Use Some things are easier to thread than others and I would rate this one as one of the nicer simpler machines for that, overall it has a straight forward functionality and with practice you can become an expert sewer using this machine. Fabric Handling I love it! It didn't matter what I put up against it, it took it! Thin, thick, padded, slippery textured this baby held up to my particular testing and did a great job helping me finish my mending withfine results. Versatility Not really a versitile machine per se, but can give some nice finish work that holds up to the test of time,(projects finished long time ago are still being used today!) Best to use for daily mending but I have used for a two day project that needed a heavy duty machine and got great time management out of it, done ahead of time! Not hot motor issue. Design Love the old time look and feel of this and would recommend as a great starter machine for anyone interested seriously in doing long term sewing. Easy to use and still small enough to fit the apartment dweller or perfect for the first time home buyer, (set up in a room by itself and have fun! Durability Great durable long lasting machine that comes through time and time again. When it goes down give it the go old college try and get it to a repair man and you will be glad you did for it will continue to be the best helper you ever have, of course except for the ones with hands! It won't let you down.

Gothel4

USA

When you first meet your featherweight, you may think it is just that. Do not be fooled by its tiny size, and light weight. This machine is no featherweight in performance. It can sew through anything! It rarely needs to be serviced, it is an excellent machine. I have never had any problems sewing with a featherweight. I have sewn through enough layers to make thick cloth diapers, and as fine layers to make a formal dress. This machine is awesome!

SarahEB

USA

A good, solid little aluminium bodied machine which is small enough to pack away neatly when not in use yet sturdy enough to cope with the majority of projects better than most modern machines which could be bought for the same budget. Stitch Performance In my opinion the stitch produced by the 201k and the 28k are finer but the differences really are tiny and I don't believe anyone buying a 221 would be disappointed. Quite the opposite, as these old machines really do give a much nicer, truer straight stitch on a wider variety of fabrics than many modern machines. Ease of Use Really couldn't be easier. Simple to thread and the needles are the ubiquitous flat shanks used by most modern domestic machines. Stitch length is adjusted by a simple, vertical lever which can be fixed by a knurled nut being tightened into contact with the machine body. This allows the lever to be thrown up into reverse and back again without losing the original stitch length and the lever also makes it easy to gradually reduce the stitch length whilst in motion - excellent for collar points and corners which are traditionally approached with a smaller stitch. Fabric Handling Benefits from adjustable presser foot tension; a feature commonly found on old machines but sadly becoming rarer in modern ones. This allows the user to moderate the pressure exerted by the foot upon the fabric, loosening it or tightening it as the fabric dictates. Versatility Apart from the want of droppable feed dogs and a free-arm (get the 221's sister the 222k for these) this machine is made wonderfully versatile by the sheer number of accessories and attachments available for it. Don't be fooled into thinking it's just a straight stitch machine; feet and attachments are available for providing the most beautiful buttonholes, zigzags, decorative stitches, ruffles, tucks, hemstitching, rolled hems, inserting zips, braids, cords, gathering, darning and more. Design This really is a design classic. The free-arm version is better still but this is not far behind. Durability Cast aluminium, these machines are built to last a lifetime. Modern machines use a lot of plastic, even for parts like the presser foot lever which get a lot of hard use. This is simply not the case here. The engineering is superb and being mechanical there are no sensors and circuit boards to become obsolete.

Hevsi

USA

I am an avid quilter and sewer and have been for over 30 years.  At the moment I own 18 sewing machines. Four of which are Singer Featherweights, model # 221.  The one I've used the most was purchased at a gun show of all places. It was manufactured in 1936.  It was covered in oil and grease. I took it home and cleaned it up and found a wonderful working machine. These little machines can take a lot and keep right on going. Singer Featherweights are all metal. There are no plastic parts to break. It has simple forward and reverse stitches only. The stitch lengths are adjustable.  It is the one machine I can oil, clean and adjust on my own. The manual has clear instructions on any maintenance or troubleshooting. It is very light weight so I'm able to carry it to quilt classes and workshops. It sews very thin to heavy weight fabrics.Though I wouldn't recommend sewing on any thing too heavy for very long. It also works well quilting smaller projects. This is a very basic, easy machine to work. No dials or buttons to push. Threading the machine is very commonsense easy. Winding the bobbin is fast and one simple step. There are original accessories that can still be purchased, such as a zig-zag or button hole attachments. Parts are also readily available at most sewing machine shops and on the Internet. No wonder the Singer Featherweight is the Quilter's Favorite Sewing Machine! I would recommend this little machine to sew any type of project.

bubbasmom88

Ontario, CA

I've been amazed at this little machine's giant reputation, which is well deserved. It stitches evenly, works great in all conditions, and even travels well. (Except TSA can be puzzled at how such a little thing actually works.) A terrific machine for all areas and seasons.

cindybrick

Castle Rock, CO