My Horizon sewing machine went to the shop to get it's tension and needle adjusted and when they turned it on the motherboard fried. So it is still in the shop which meant no sewing (I do have another beautiful old singer but have I gotten around to getting it operational? Of course not. She will go the shop when I pick up the Horizon.)
Late yesterday afternoon, I dug into my cupboard and pulled out this little Featherweight. Well, I was not even sure it was a Featherweight, the instagram folks set me straight, as the manual says it is a Singer 221-1 and the serial number says it was made in 1952. I have owned it for many, many years - my husband picked it up for me at a garage sale for $20 - and I had pretty much forgot about it. Well, turns out after I added oil and fussed with the tension for a while, it works and it is so cute. I need to order more bobbins and needles as I have only one of each.
In the meantime, without a sewing machine, I joined a knit along, the Follow Your Arrow Mystery Shawl KAL, which is here on Ravelry. The KAL is being run by my favourite Scottish knit designer Ysolda. The yarn is angora from Louisa Harding which I had in sufficient quantity in my stash.
By the way, if you knit and have not yet joined Ravelry, you really should - that is where all the internet knitters hang out, there are over 3.8 million members and generally at least 5000 knitters are on line at any time I go there.
Oh and there is one of the scissor tags that I won from Benta at Sarah's online baby shower. They are lovely tags, and now my scissors are safe from careless teenagers, thank you Benta!
While I am talking about knitting, I finished and blocked my Snowfling Mittens (yarn and pattern from Tanis Fiber Arts). Blocking knitting is just washing the finished product and laying it out to dry after patting it into its correct dimensions. When I washed these I also gave them a lot of firm tugs to even out the colour changes in the stitches. It made such a big difference in how smooth and pretty the mittens are. So don't forget to block your knitting, even mittens and socks, you will be very happy with the result.
If you look carefully at the in progress photo above you can see the difference. look at how bumpy they are. It is also helpful to know this so you are not so fussed about those bumps as you are knitting them in the first place.
By the way, my Horizon's demise, and Katy's encouragement sent me on a trip to visit here. I am going to return and try one of these out next Saturday. I am caving fast. What would you do if you had just enough space and probably could manage the financing? I do love the quilting part of making quilts. We shall see what my dear spouse says too.
I hope you are having a great weekend, I have to do day job work today and I have a gruelling week ahead, but I will sneak in some time with that little Featherweight machine too. I guess I need to name her.
Best,
Leanne
32 comments:
It seems that knitting is getting highly popular. Good to know :-)
Ah, so the meter man took his time then ;o) Loving the mitts, and glad you could get your wee machine up and running - hope you get some play time today!
Those mittens are the bees knees...I may have shamelessly asked Kristie/OCD to make me some when she posted hers this week!!
I still can't get over that featherweight just sitting in your cupboard! It uses regular machine needles, by the way :-D
Ravelry is amazing! Love all those patterns. Your mittens are just gorgeous!
Those mittens are beautiful. I used to knit when I lived in New Zealand and in southern Australia, but it's too hot, even in winter to knit or use knitted items here.
That looks like an amazing long arm.....it seems to have some really great features!!!! Sounds like so much fun!!!!!!
Charlotte is right… any machine needles will work in your Featherweight. I LOVE mine! They are wonderful to take to classes, vacation, etc because of the light weight and they make the cutest sounds (each different) as they chug along! Hope you enjoy yours! (And congratulate your husband for making such a stellar find!)
Sorry that your horizon is broken although the featherlight looks very cute to sew on. Your knitting is lovely. Di x
all sorts of exciting developments! A featherweight AND a longarm - very cool! I kind wouldn't mind trying out one of those Jukis everyone is talking about.......
Ooh I just ordered a frame for my Juki. I have JUST enough space at the moment, and am waiting on a bigger studio before I commit to a longarm! :)
Agree with Debbie--two amazing machines in one post. Will be interested to see what you decide.
But those mittens are head and shoulders above everything! They are simply gorgeous, and are such works of art. I love them, and are happy that they turned out so well for you.
Hope you get your machine back in working order, but I do love my little Featherweight, too. The stitches are so nice and even and evenly balanced. I alternate sewing on that and on the big one, but when I'm sewing on the Featherweight, I feel like I'm on a toy machine, just playing. It lightens the heart!
Elizabeth
OMGosh, I am drooling over your Featherweight! The gold isn't faded from the material sliding over it, I see no pin-scratches... PERFECT!! I have been on the lookout for one, but the ones in great condition (like yours) are way out of my price range. I'm simply looking for one I can sew with, rather one in "show" condition. $20?! How wonderful!!!
The "Millie" looks VERY exciting! If you can swing it, and you have room to put it.....go for it!! Your knitting is so nice. I guess I need to learn to knit.
Holy cow! $20 at a garage sale? Your fella is the best :) So glad she's purring like a kitten now!
Sorry your Horizon died. :( Awesome deal on the Singer though. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you'll be able to talk your hubby into the longarm. :)
Ooh, lovely mittens! I am having a real craving to get back into knitting at the moment - I think I might start with something very undemanding like baby socks though ;-)
Love those mittens and hope your machine is back soon.
ooh bummer about your horizon. i hope something like that doesn't happen to mine! i am also doing the ysolda kal. can't wait to start the next clue!
What a dream that long arm would be! Your 221 is beautiful, I hear those are GREAT vintage machines!
She is in fabulous condition, I just sold a 100 year old treadle machine this weekend so there'll be no option to sew in a power cut now in this house ;)
Also if you have the space and the money, totally go for it!
I have a new Horizon and love it. Do you know what the package of empty plastic spools--that comes with felt circles and screws is for...there is no mention of them in the instruction manual!
I also had an old Singer--it cost $200 to get it working...I sold it.
I simply LOVE my Featherweight & sew with it for most of my piecing. Mine is one year older than yours but cost a lot more. £200. There is nothing to beat the straight seam goodness of these machines. The fact that they are only weigh a feather makes them grand for classes or traveling etc.
I have a state of the art Pfaff but she is VERY temperamental to say the least. Have just dragged her out of storage to get some quilting done & so far she is behaving.
Can't make the links work to see what you are looking into buying but I am sure it is not as pretty as your Singer :)
Lush
I love your little Featherweight and hope you enjoy sewing on it (her?!) until your Horizon is resurrected. (I'm assuming they can resurrect it?) I love the mittens - you're such a talented knitter as well as a talented quilter! Have a lovely time trying out the LA - it looks like a magnificent beast!
Yikes! Will they replace the motherboard to bring your Horizon back to the land of the living? Good thing you have that pretty little Featherweight on hand. Nothing beats the vintage Singers for reliability and perfect stitches. ;o) (I may be biased as I piece everything on my 15-91 these days - save my Janome for quilting and anything fancy... ;o)
Oh, can't wait to hear about the adventures with the long-arm!
Whoa! You're knitting is so gorgeous, Leanne.
I'm so tempted to try the kal, but I have a lot on at the moment perhaps soon. And if I had the space and the money I so totally would, in a heartbeat!
Featherweights are such fabulous machines! I have two black ones and a celery/mint green (which my husband insists on calling "white"). They make such beautiful stitches and are usually what I take to quilting retreats. Hope all your machines are soon in tip top working order.
I have two friends who own the Handiquilter Sweet 16, which seems to be the best of both worlds with a nice opening for quilts, and a sit down machine. I'm not familiar with the one you are going to try, but it is probably along the same lines. And it would be great to have the space for a big quilting machine. In the meantime, I will continue to clear off my sewing table every time I have something to quilt! Get your featherweight going! I'm sure it will be a great little machine to take to classes and on sewing retreats! And as a back up. What did you name her?
I love my Singer Featherweight. You definitely need to get yours operational! Good luck.
Um, if you get a longarm you will be even more unstoppable! How amazing! I bought my FW from ebay and it had tension/stitching issues. There are so many online references for help and they are easy. It takes time to finagle the machine too but I fixed mine by myself! Non-electronic and all. I also really wish I could knit like you and I need mittens like that!
so glad the tags are doing their job! I love the gloves!
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