Maintenance tips for the Singer Featherweight 221

Maintenance activities	After each use	Monthly	Once each year	As needed
Clean race hook and feed dogs	Yes	No	No	No
Wipe head with soft dry cloth	No	No	No	Yes
Wipe head with soft damp cloth	No	No	No	Yes
Lubricate	No	No	No	Yes
Service by sewing machine repair professional	No	No	No	Yes

The Singer 221 Featherweight is quite possibly one of the most reliable portable sewing machines one could imagine. The one and only drawback is the fact that it is not capable of giving you all of the fancy stitches that newer machines can render. I wouldn’t say that threading it and adjusting the tension is a breeze, but you don’t have to be a Rhodes Scholar to get the job done. Once the threading and tension adjustment hurdles are cleared, the novice sewer will be just as happy sewing on this machine as the home sewing veteran who has been sewing for decades.

A machine this old requires a bit of special care. If you are not well-versed in oiling and cleaning an older sewing machine, it would be a good idea to befriend a sewing machine repair professional in your area. Depending upon how often you use your Singer 221 Featherweight, you may want to consider establishing a schedule for taking your machine in for servicing. This way, you will be sure to get as much service form your Singer 221 Featherweight as possible.

The Singer 221 Featherweight is obviously durable. It has withstood the test of time. One cannot help but wonder how may sewing machines manufactured in the twenty-first century will still be around and in constant use after 80 years. The Featherweight model that we looked at today is not a sewing machine that is used by a casual home sewer.
The Singer Featherweight we saw recently is used by someone who is considered by many to be a sewing professional. She taught countless high school and middle school students how to sew. Now that she is out of the classroom, she chooses to sew on a machine that could easily have been around longer than her parents.
After witnessing this machine go through its paces, there is no doubt in this reviewer’s mind that with proper care, this Singer 221 Featherweight will be around long enough to be passed along to many more generations of home sewers.

Working on the Singer 221 Featherweight

Threading the Singer 221 takes a few more steps than threading a newer sewing machine, but it is not rocket science. Even if you do not have a manual to give you step by step directions, anyone with more than just a basic knowledge of operating a sewing machine can figure it out without a lot of trouble. The one trick is that the needle is inserted with the flat side facing in toward the machine. As a result, for optimum operation, you must thread the needle from the inside out rather than from the outside in as with today’s machines. Adjusting the tension could take a few minutes if you are unaccustomed to doing this for yourself.

If you have been spoiled by today’s sewing machines with automatic tension adjustment, you might lose patience with this step, but hang in there.The end result is well worth the small investment of your time.

Winding the bobbin is easily achieved by placing the bobbin on the spindle next to the tread spool pin and loosening the balance wheel before engaging the foot pedal. Once the bobbin is threaded, slip it into the bobbin casing and slip it into place beneath the flip up leaf. The 221 Featherweight will give you just one single straight stitch. You can, however, regulate the stitch length by adjusting a lever on the right side of the machine.

Singer 221 Featherweight Review in 2024!

Note from Editor: This Singer Featherweight 221 review was originally written in 2012, revised and updated in 2023. The Singer 221 Featherweight is no longer manufactured. We have listed the budget friendly Singer mechanical sewing machines alternatives such as the Singer MX60, Singer Making the Cut and Singer Heavy Duty 4423

The Singer 221, also known as the Singer Featherweight, was the first widely distributed portable sewing machine.

This little dynamo made home sewing possible for many more people.

The home sewer who lived in cramped quarters that did not have ample space for separate pieces of furniture to house a sewing machine could purchase a Featherweight, stow it away in a closet or cabinet until it was needed and then tuck it away when the job was done.

Fabrics

Fabrics that work	Fabrics that don’t work
Natural fibers/cotton-linen-wool Fine fabrics/silk-satin-taffeta/velvet Knits Synthetic fabrics/blends-rayon-polyester	Leather/suede Fur Reptile skin Canvas/Twill Plastic/Rubber Upholstery Extra thick fabrics or multiple layers

Since this particular machine was passed along twice before landing in the hands of its current owner, some of the original components may have been lost along the way. The manual, original carrying case and accessories case have been either lost, misplaced or left behind long ago. However, that minor technicality hasn’t deterred the owner one iota.
According to information found on the internet, the list of accessories included with a brand new Singer 221 Featherweight consisted of:

• Ruffler
• Edge Stitcher
• Gathering Foot
• Foot Hemmer
• Adjustable Hemmer
• Darner/Embroiderer 221
• Darner/Embroiderer 222
• Tuck Marker
• Braider
• Multi-slot Binder
• Zipper Foot
• Bias Gauge
• Cording Foot
• Quilting Foot

It is entirely possible that this Singer 221 Featherweight did not have all of these attachments when it was first sold. And since the machine was in production for nearly 30 years, some of the accessories on this list may or may not have been available when her machine was made.

After all, the current owner has no idea how old her machine is. All she can confirm is that her grandmother had it for many, years before she got it back in the 1960s. As far as anyone knows, her Singer 21 Featherweight could have been around since 1933… or it could have been manufactured anytime between then and 1961.