My FW's story is of my mom, who met a handsome young Candian soldier in Belgium in 1943. He brought her to Canada, married her, they bought the Feather while briefly living in Toronto before moving to rural Nova Scotia. Three years later she was suddenly widowed, with an infant and a 2-yo, living in a big house in a small town, with no family and barely speaking English. She supported herself and my half-brothers with that Featherweight, doing alterations and making dresses, for many years until she married my father.
Yeah, it's scratched, its decals are worn where she steadied her hand on the bed. The flywheel is seriously chipped and the stitch length indicator has a notch worn at "10" where she flipped it up and back a million times to finish a seam. It wasn't babied the for the last half century. It carried a family instead.
It wasn't until I got the FW from my dad after he'd stored it since Mom passed away, that I realized the sound of the presser bar lifter being flipped up, is one of the comfort sounds from my childhood. Hearing that ka-CLUNK means she's nearby.
The FW is tiny; its carrying case measures just 12" high, 13" wide, and 8" deep including a tray for a sewing kit, tools and accessories. See the link below for a page of feet and accessories. It's an amazing piece of 1930s engineering and much-loved by quilters, generally regarded as the best for "piecing;" it does the nicest straight stitch of any machine ever built, is quiet and vibration-free, and is very portable. My machine's serial number, AH332363, indicates that it was built shortly after October 28th, 1947.
I learned to sew on this machine when I was 5 or so, and Heddy continued to use it regularly until she died in '97. In May 2000, my father gave it to me. I gave it a thorough cleaning and oiling, and it works great! I'll use it for repairs, making Hallowe'en and party costumes, and whatever small sewing projects I get into.
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In April 2003 a couple of very good friends sold me their Featherweight 222K!!! here is its web page.
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2007-10-28: Mike and I take Heddy's FW to Mollyz to celebrate its 60th birthday. |