Nancy Johnson-Srebro - Featherweight 221: The Perfect Portable and Its Stitches Across History

ISBN 978-1-60705-263-0

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Featherweight Download

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Featherweight 221

The Perfect Portable

And Its Stitches Across History

Nancy Johnson-Srebro

with Technical Assistance by Frank Srebro

Exclusive Distributor:

C&T Publishing, Inc.

P.O. Box 1456

Lafayette, CA 94549

800.284.1114

www.ctpub.com

Published By:

Silver Star, Inc.

55 Saddle Lake Rd.

Tunkhannock, PA 18657

FOREWORD

I started looking for Featherweights over seven years ago. But my desire to own one got the best of me in the Fall of 1990. Id just returned from the AIQA Festival in Houston. While I was teaching there several Featherweights had slipped through my fingers, and I was, to say the least, disappointed! A day or two later my husband asked what I wanted for Christmas, and I said I really wanted to see a black case with an old Featherweight under the tree. He asked if I was kidding, and I assured him I wasnt. Well Frank usually isnt held back by much but I have to admit the poor guy barely knew what a Featherweight was at the time. I found out later that he started the search right then and there. Two weeks before Christmas he was able to buy not one, but two machines. And when I raced to the tree that year I saw that Santa had left two black cases!

Its been over four years since I wrote the first edition of this book, and my respect and love for these wonderful sewing machines continue to grow. With the help of many people Ive been able to gather a large mass of new information on the Featherweight Model 221 . Armed with hundreds of letters, phone messages and personal notes, I felt it was time to write again about the Perfect Portable. I must say, though, without the help of my husband I would never have been able to take on a project of this size. Frank spent months cataloging my research, and entering this information and my book manuscript into one of our computers. Actually, Ive written this book update on a parallel path along with another book on quiltmaking.

I decided early-on to divide this book up and organize it so it would not be too repetitious, but yet make each chapter fairly complete for those readers who skip chapters on subjects that dont interest them. I think youll find that each chapter has a stand alone character that doesnt depend heavily on information in preceding sections.

As a quilt teacher and a quilting book author, Ive seen literally thousands of Singer Featherweight 221 sewing machines in classes and seminars across the country. Theres no doubt that the classic Featherweight 221 portable carries more prestige in quilting class than any other sewing machine. Charisma might be a good word to use here. And for good reasons! A classic should have at least one special virtue. Featherweights have many. Its no wonder theyve become an important part of the resurgence of the quilt making art in this country. We all have seen this happen - a legend made in our time! Im happy to have been a part of it, and Im sure you are too!

So its with great pleasure that we present to you our updated volume of Featherweight 221The Perfect Portable. Enjoy!

DEDICATION

Maybe it was Gods providence, or call it coincidence if you will, but the very day I finished the manuscript for this edition I received a letter that touched my heart. A woman in Texas told me about her friend who used to buy Featherweights for her business. She had one machine to which a note was attached in a very shaky hand. It said I hope whoever gets this machine will love it as much as I have.

Heres a salute to you, my unknown friend, for phrasing so well whats taken long months and pages and pages to capture. And let me dedicate this modest work to you.... I promise that you and your machine will be remembered.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Books such as this one result from the assistance and support of many people. Foremost among these contributors is the Singer Sewing Company of Edison, New Jersey, and its Sewing Product Department personnel. I am grateful for their assistance with product and technical information which was invaluable in the preparation of this work.