In my SUSTAINABLE SEWING online course , I talk about sustainable options for fabrics. Here’s an example of how I upcycled a vintage tablecloth. I had a vision: to sew a camp shirt out of a vintage tablecloth. And here it is!
Vintage Singer Featherweight Straited Faceplate Comes with everything you see in the photos. Items have been used therefore see the photos for detailed description.
Vintage Singer Featherweight 221 replacement bed. Celtic Decal 45713 Simanco. Item is used therefore does show wear see the photos and the video for detailed description. I have tried to highlight the wear areas (photos #4 and #7 show the minor wear)
Happy Wednesday! Today I want to share a few of my favorite resources, tips, and tricks for Sewing on a Vintage Singer Featherweight 221. I was very lucky to find a featherweight under the tree this past Christmas from my parents. It is in beautiful condition, and had been picked up with it's original case, accessories, and even the loan agreement. You can read a bit more about that story here. I had it cleaned and serviced at my local sewing machine shop after I got it, wanting to make sure it was in true working order between I started using it. I don't regret having it serviced that first time, because I really felt like it needed to be seen first by a professional. However, since that first cleaning I've serviced and cleaned it myself. Now that I've been using it pretty heavily for the past 5-6 months, I want to share my experiences with you all! Ever since my machine returned from it's first tune-up, I've been using it almost exclusively for piecework. Nearly anything that was just simple piecing, since March has been done on my featherweight. That includes the majority of the projects that I made for my Quilt Market booth this past Spring! I continue to use my Janome Horizon 7700 for anything that requires a walking foot, like bags with interfacing, shirring and for all my quilting. I wouldn't trade it for those things for sure. But for pretty much everything else, I'm preferring the featherweight. It is so easy to use for piecing, and creates amazing stitches. In addition, it is so lightweight and it takes up such little space so it's great for traveling. Two resources that have been really helpful for me is Featherweight 221: The Perfect Portable And It's Stitches Across History by Nancy Johnson-Srebro, and The Featherweight 221 and I by David McCallum. Nancy's book is all about the history of the featherweight, the different models and accessories. There is part of the original manual in it as well, but in general it is more of a commentary on featherweights rather than a how-to manual. It was really interesting, I read through most of it in one sitting! David McCallum's book is a true how-to guide. It is a comprehensive guide to care and also repair. I turn to this book every time I need to oil my machine. It has very clear, easy to read diagrams for where to oil and how often each spot should be oiled. Only the front of each page is printed, so you can use the backs of the pages to take notes. I keep track of each time I oil my machine to make sure I don't oil it too often or not enough. I highly recommend both books, but if you only buy one, buy The Featherweight 221 and I by David McCallum. You don't need much to take care of regular maintenance on a featherweight. These are some of my favorite tools: I always have compressed air on hand to use on all of my machines. It's great for getting dust and lint from hard to reach places, like under the needle plate and in the bobbin case. I seem to keep buying this one by 3M, it lasts a while. Early on I picked up a non-abrasive car wax to protect the surface of the featherweight and keep it nice and shiny. This butter smooth wax has worked great and doesn't have a strong smell. Make sure to test any wax on a hidden place first. I buff it on with a microfiber cloth. Unlike most of today's machines, featherweights need oiling on a regular basis to make sure it's running smoothly. I oil mine after every 8 hours or so of use. Not all parts of the machine need oiled that often though. Once you get used to your machine, you'll be able to hear and feel when it needs oil. I really like the Zoom Spout Oil*. It has a thin spout that comes way out of the bottle, making it easy to get hard to reach places. You only need a tiny drop in each spot, and this oil makes it easy to control the oil. I use q-tips to clean up any excess oil. You'll also need Singer Motor Lubricant for the gears and motor. Before you start sewing again, sew through some scrap fabric to make sure everything is running okay and to let any excess oil run onto the scrap instead of your project. *Update: I recently started using this oil pen, which makes it even easier to deliver one drop at a time. I absolutely love it, and it's refillable! Once the machine is all nice and clean, it's back to sewing! I use Schmetz Universal Needles in my featherweight. They work great in all my machines, I like not having to order anything special. The needles go in sideways and you thread it from right to left. I only use Aurifil cotton thread in my featherweight. It feeds so smoothly through the machine, and it only seems right to treat it to the best thread! Like all machines, featherweights have their own quirks when it comes to actually sewing. I like to use the stock foot that came with the machine to do all my piecing. It's super skinny which makes top stitching really nice and the 1/4" guide is easy to see. You can buy a 1/4" foot for your featherweight, but I don't have one for mine. I don't ever use the 1/4" foot I have for my Janome, so I probably wouldn't use one for this either. I'm not sure why, I just don't like using them! One of the biggest tricks that helped make things easier for me, was learning how to loosen the hand wheel so that the needle doesn't run up and down while you wind a bobbin. Before you start winding, hold the large wheel in place with one hand and turn the small wheel towards you until it loosens. Wind your bobbin and turn it back until it locks in place when you're done. I do have the original carrying case for my featherweight, but I decided to create my own set of accessories for travel and storage. I wanted something cuter and also a little more functional. You can read more about my featherweight travel set here. Want to make your own set? Check out my Sew Portable Travel Set Pattern! I also have a tutorial for a patchwork mat to match! I'm not a featherweight expert, but I've definitely learned a lot using it these last few months. I'm looking forward to stitching up lots more projects with it! I hope this was helpful to some of you! Do you sew on a vintage machine? What are your favorite tips, tricks, and resources?
Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along - Finished Quilt with Scalloped Border At the end of February, the borders and sashing were pieced, the quilt...
Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along - Finished Quilt with Scalloped Border At the end of February, the borders and sashing were pieced, the quilt...
Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along Spring is finally arriving, and we are so excited to add three more blocks to our stack of Farm...
Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along - Sewing the Top Together Last post we finished up by having all of our sashing and border pieces cut...
Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along This post took lots of turns. And, when you're a slow sewist like me... well, that doesn't leave a lot...
Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along - Finished Quilt with Scalloped Border At the end of February, the borders and sashing were pieced, the quilt...
Surprise your favourite vintage lover with the gift of style using our new Outfit Mystery Box Gift Cards! Perfect for that person who loves the vintage style but you don't know exactly what to get them. After purchasing the gift card, the recipient can purchase one of our best selling Vintage Outfit Mystery Boxes with it. They can select styles, specify favourite brands, choose colour preferences, and let us know their sizing. We'll then put together a head-to-toe vintage outfit and ship it to their door for the perfect gift!
Browse free vintage patterns, retro hair tutorials and affordable vintage clothing. Enjoy diy fashion crafts and classic style inspiration
Easy Knit Top PDF KNITTING PATTERN ⨯ Simple Loose V-Neck Sweater Pattern ⨯ Jumper Knitting Pattern, Beginner Sweater Vintage Knit Pattern Size -- S, M, L, XL, 2XL Yarn -- either featherweight yarn (a linen mix), which is knitted using 3 strands, or a DK mercerized cotton for single stranded knitting Written in English Simple and timeless, this top is done in stockinette stitch, making it nice and straightforward. Perfect and light for summer evenings. Happy knitting! Instant-download digital pattern PDF file PDF includes instructions + recommended materials The Pattern PDF is available for instant download upon payment. Download link is located under your Etsy account drop down menu under "Purchases and Reviews"; download link located next to transaction details.IMPORTANT - The Etsy App has been glitching lately, so to get the PDF they advise logging into the desktop version (which you can do on your phone via any web browser), and the download link will be under Purchases. However, if you still have trouble downloading, message me and I will email it to you directly
I made a new tote for my Singer Featherweight Case! I am looking forward to taking Nova Montgomery's Featherweight Maintenance class next weekend when she comes nearby on her Autumn Tour. Because of the age and weight of my Featherweight, I do not like to rely on the case handle to tote it around. Although my case is in good shape, I would just rather not put the pressure on the handle anymore. I have been using a large canvas tote bag that fits the Featherweight case very snugly. I thought I would make a similar, but nicer tote bag for my Featherweight that matches the Singer Featherweight look. TOTE SUPPLIES: - 3/4 yard of black Double-faced Quilted Fabric (I purchased this one at my local JoAnn store). - 4 yards of 1-1/4" black Belting (Mine was $4/yard, but I used a coupon at JoAnn). - Black sewing thread FOR EMBROIDERY: - Gold or similar tone embroidery thread for embroidery. - Singer Featherweight decal embroidery design (I used the "Tall Bed Decal" from Jen's Vintage Sewing) - The "Singer Featherweight" wording I did on my computer using a "Shelley" font. (.PES format is here for FREE - disclaimer - please test stitch your design first.) DIRECTIONS: 1. Fold the fabric with selvage edges together. Cut a 16.5" strip across the width of the fabric. This is the body of the tote bag. This will be a snug fit, like a glove. You could make yours 17" or even 17.5" wide if you want more room. 2. Cut a 9" strip across the width of the fabric. Cut this long strip in half, so you have two pieces, each 9" wide. These will be used for the side panels of the bag. 3. Straighten out the edges of the fabric and trim the selvedge. IF DOING EMBROIDERY: A. Place the Featherweight case in the center of the large panel and gather the edges together to get an idea of where you would like your embroidery placed. B. Mark the center for embroidery. C. Edit the design as desired. Hoop the fabric and embroider using your center mark made earlier. 4. Pin the cotton belting to the front of your tote panel. I pinned mine 3" from the edge. Start the belt at the bottom of the bag (center of the tote body panel). 5. Pin the belting up the side of the body panel, give 24" for the handle, and continue pinning back down the other side of the panel. Across the bottom, and up the panel, giving an equivalent 24" for the other handle. 6. Pin the belting back to the beginning, overlapping a good inch. Cut the excess and fold the edge under a bit for a clean look. 7. Sew on the belting. Start at the bottom, zigzag across the folded edge and box stitch the overlap for reinforcement. Sew along each edge of the belting, a scant 1/4". 8. Stop sewing the belting 1" from the top edge of the tote. We will be folding the top 1" of fabric over at the end of the construction. Box stitch the belting at this point for reinforcement. 9. Find the center of the long edges of the tote body panel, and the center of a 9" side of each side panel. Pin a side panel to each side of the body, matching the centers, right sides together. Baste or sew each side in place, 1/4" seam. 10. Pin the side panel long edges to the sides of the tote body panel, right sides together. The side panel will be a longer than the tote body - that is OK, we will trim it later. 11. Sew a side panel to the tote body panel, using 1/2" seam. Start from the tote's top edge, go down, around the bottom (where it is already sewn in step #9), and back up to the top. Repeat for the other side panel. 12. Trim the side panels top raw edge even with the top of tote body panel. Fold the top of the tote fabric down 1" all around (wrong sides together) and sew to secure. Turn your tote right-side out and push out the bottom corners. Top-stitch around the top of the tote, 1/4". The Singer Featherweight case fits nicely inside! OPTIONAL: I added snaps along the top of the tote for a neater look. These snaps are functional for when the case is in storage, as most will pop open when carrying the tote in transit. I now have a complete 3-piece set for my Singer Featherweight. I have a tote for machine, a tote for the extension table, and a matching apron to wear. All set!! Happy Stitching! Sylvia
Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along - Sewing the Top Together Last post we finished up by having all of our sashing and border pieces cut...
Today, we are featuring block 3 of the Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along at the Featherweight Shop! Last block we learned about pressing seams open...
This adorable applique quilt is so charming and features sweet birds, pie, teapot, ice cream, and of course a bowl full of cherries. Cherry lovers will be unable to resist the fruitful images. Pick your favorite cherry fabric and let it guide your fresh color palette. The prairie points on the edge are the perfect finish! Simply a joy to create. Approx. 38" x 44"Materials needed: 1 1/2 yds applique backgrounds1/3 yd each of reds, 1/3 yd each of 6 blues, 1/3 yd of of each greens, 1/3 yd each of aquas. Fat quarters of 3 pinks & fat quarters of 2 fun cherry prints1/4 yard inner border1 1/2 yd inner border1/8 yd each of 8 fabrics for prairie points1 1/2 yards backing Click here to see all of our Verna Mosquera patterns.
Easy Knit Top PDF KNITTING PATTERN ⨯ Simple Loose V-Neck Sweater Pattern ⨯ Jumper Knitting Pattern, Beginner Sweater Vintage Knit Pattern Size -- S, M, L, XL, 2XL Yarn -- either featherweight yarn (a linen mix), which is knitted using 3 strands, or a DK mercerized cotton for single stranded knitting Written in English Simple and timeless, this top is done in stockinette stitch, making it nice and straightforward. Perfect and light for summer evenings. Happy knitting! Instant-download digital pattern PDF file PDF includes instructions + recommended materials The Pattern PDF is available for instant download upon payment. Download link is located under your Etsy account drop down menu under "Purchases and Reviews"; download link located next to transaction details.IMPORTANT - The Etsy App has been glitching lately, so to get the PDF they advise logging into the desktop version (which you can do on your phone via any web browser), and the download link will be under Purchases. However, if you still have trouble downloading, message me and I will email it to you directly
Just Sew is a foundation pieced mini quilt with the perfect theme for your sewing room. Make the iconic vintage sewing machine look modern and add a ring of rainbow hearts to declare your love of sewing.The finished quilt size is 25" x 25".
Surprise your favourite vintage lover with the gift of style using our new Outfit Mystery Box Gift Cards! Perfect for that person who loves the vintage style but you don't know exactly what to get them. After purchasing the gift card, the recipient can purchase one of our best selling Vintage Outfit Mystery Boxes with it. They can select styles, specify favourite brands, choose colour preferences, and let us know their sizing. We'll then put together a head-to-toe vintage outfit and ship it to their door for the perfect gift!
Beautiful, perfect and easy! ‘Sew’ easy in fact, it’s practically hands-free! Believe me, this buttonholer is still preferred by long-time sewists, even over the fancy,...
Farm Girl Vintage Sew Along Spring is finally arriving, and we are so excited to add three more blocks to our stack of Farm...
