The featherweight Singer 221K

isn’t she lovely?

This is a little out of sequence after posting about new year resolutions but I had to tell you about one of my christmas presents……….

I got a new sewing machine to add to my little ‘collection’.

My very lovely husband, JC was at a car boot sale in late September and rang me to say that he had found this lovely small black singer sewing machine and was I interested?

the singer badge

It was only the singer 221k featherweight that they were offering but by the time he had sent me photos to be sure it was a good decision to buy it, the lady had taken it away to research it a little as she suspected the interest meant it was more valuable than she originally thought.

the motor and belt

JC had enough sense to leave the lady his number and took a call from her some weeks later to say she would sell it if he was still interested.  Off he went to meet said lady in the empty car park of where the car boot sale usually takes place armed with strict instructions to keep his phone on him in case he was bundled into her car boot and whisked away never to be seen again!

There was no need to be concerned. He eventually he returned and I could not have been more delighted to see him and he had the machine!

with the sewing flap down and ready for use

When you start searching for details on these little machines, you find that they have lots of fans and lots of pages and you tube videos dedicated to them.

top tension

Mine doesn’t seem to have the 221k badge on it but everything else is right and I loved finding out why there is a clip on the box lid and how it should be stored. The serial number starts with EH so I now know that it was made in 1951 and is definitely the 221k and not the 221.

foot pedal clipped into lid

The cable on the machine has been replaced with a new white one instead of the thread covered black original but it works and it is generally a thing of great beauty.

The original oil tin, instruction manual, sewing feet, attachments, carry case and key come complete with it and after a little clean up and a little machine oil, it works perfectly. It has signs of use from it’s previous life but that is to be expected and the scratches take nothing from it’s appeal.

The case is no bigger than a record case for LPs (showing my age now!). It is tiny and incredibly light so it is easy to see how successful it would have been as a travel machine. It would certainly be a lot easier to transport than any of my other machines.

all neatly stashed in the carry box

Sewing with it is a dream; it is quiet and smooth and because it is so compact, it feels neat and tidy working at it. I’m quite taken and can’t wait to really get into using it.

spool loader

I now have 4 old sewing machines (this one, the singer 320k, the singer 401 and a frisster and rossman cub 7. The Cub 7 was my first and only sewing machine until recent years) the singer 320k and now this wonderful little singer 221k are my absolute favourites. I am delighted with this brilliant and gorgeous christmas gift!

the decorative end plate

I can’t tell you how impressed I am too that JC even noticed it when he found at the car boot sale it let alone managed to get his grubby little mits on it for me for christmas.

Yey, Merry Christmas me and thank you JC!