Does any CUTIE have a Vintage Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine? Does it sew zig zag too? Does it come with a buttonhole attachment? TIA ;D

There are heaps of Singer Buttonholers for sale on Ebay and they sew a far better buttonhole than my $10,000 Designer Diamond. Truly. I have just purchased three different models. You have to be very careful WHO you buy from, and that all the screws and cams are included with the attachment.

DON'T buy from Pari 141155!!!!! She shows the screws in her listing photo but the buttonholer will arrive without them and she'll blame the post office for them being missing!!!!

I can highly recommend 231-Terry, i've added the link to the store below.

Good luck, it is a lot of fun to use and really brilliant when you think of how long ago these devices were thought up, I love my (new) old Singer 201.

Photo 1 is a later model Buttonholer

Photo 2 is an Automatic Zig Zagger

Photo 3 is a Hemstitcher and picot Edger

Photo 4 is Blindstitch attachment

Photo's 5 & 6 is Overcaster<

Photo 7 is older style completely adjustable Buttonholer, this one doesn't need Cams to create buttonholes.
I believe the attachment screw shown in this picture is incorrect and actually belongs to a Hemstitcher as it is the one I am missing for mine. Without the right screw i can't use it that is why I have purchased, so far, 4 buttonholers, just to get the screws because you just can't find these ones anywhere. Aaaaargh!!!

As long as you remember to purchase attachments to suit which shank your machine is, these attachments will work for you. 221 should be SHORT SHANK.

But as I said!! Make sure ALL the screws are with each one. It helps to download and look at the instruction manuals so you know what should be included, before you buy any attachments.

The links are to Terry's store on Ebay and to The Sew Box, where you can download instruction manuals and a wealth of other information on Machines.

Hugs n roses, Meganne

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2 comments

by mad14kt 06 Jun 2010

Thanks Meg, what wealth of info. I don't have a Featherweight yet but I am waiting on the right timing for one to come my way. But I do want a zig zag attachment for my GM machine. I will bookmark this page for future references ;D *2U

by meganne 06 Jun 2010

You can always email me if you need any other info, I've been researching for weeks since I got my 201.
The lady at SewBox also wrote a book on using Machine attachments, I'm waiting for mine to arrive, so in case I forget, ask me in a couple of weeks and I'll let you know if it is helpful and worth having.
Hugs n roses, Meg

I have a Featherweight for quilt piecing and taking along when I travel. I guess they only really do a straight stitch, but the zig-zag attachment sounds pretty wild! Don't think mine came with that attachment, but it is vintage 1930's. I do have the original manual that came with it. You have to put the needle in sideways (ie you thread it from the left side), otherwise it doesn't stitch properly. There are several good books on Featherweights including "The Featherweight an I" by David McCallum and "Featherweight 221 The Perfect Portable" by Nancy Johnson-Srebro.

1 comment

by mad14kt 06 Jun 2010

WOW 1930's...thanks for sharing ;D *2U

I have a small singer box that has all kinds of feet/attachments in it that is probably at least 80 yrs old it is all I have left from my mother's old singer machine. Funny I forgot all about it until I read this post and went to see if I did still have it and I do.

1 comment

by mad14kt 06 Jun 2010

Make sure you keep up with it once you found it again ;D *2U

I too have a Featherweight, with a load of attachments, one is the buttonhole attachment and another is a zig zag attachment. You feed the material through the foot and it makes the fabric move back and forth rather than the needle. It's a little tricky to get used to, but it does work.

1 comment

by mad14kt 06 Jun 2010

Thanks for sharing! WOW, that foot sounds like a lot of fun. I wonder if I can get a simliar foot for the machine my GM gave me yrs ago? ;D *2U

I have a couple of
featherweights and was lucky enough to find a buttonhole attachement along with several extra pressure feet. Generally tho, they are straight stitch machine with a beautiful stitch and as the last comment said, wonderful for quilt piecing. I would pass along what a repair man told me once and that is to get new bobbins from a Singer dealer as most of the old ones that are with the machines get "out of round" from use. This simple action improved the stitches on both of mine.

1 comment

by mad14kt 06 Jun 2010

Thank you so much for sharing ;D *2U

I have a feaherweight, it does straight stitch only. Great for quilting

1 comment

by mad14kt 06 Jun 2010

Thank you so much for sharing ;D *2U