Passing on history (Singer Featherweight)

In October 2009 my dad gave me my mother’s old Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine, shown above. That meant a great deal to me. I remember this little machine from when I was a wee little girl and my mother was teaching me to sew on it, very carefully. Somehow it seemed larger then, and I think that I was trying to make clothes for my baby doll, but I don’t recall having much success at that young age. Mum sewed clothes for herself, my younger sister and me on that little Singer – dresses and skirts and blouses, mostly, and she did a fine job of it.

Since Mum saved everything, in its sturdy carrying case I found the machine’s original Singer Warranty dated “Sep 11 1957”, stating that the Machine style is 221-1-270 and the number is AG878454. Also of interest, the “conditional sales contract” for her purchase is there, $124.50 – and describes her installment payments. All her receipts are there, too, but there are only three because, true to form, Mum paid her debt early. There is a letter to thank her for her patronage and informing her that she was entitled to a refund which they were enclosing in a cheque. Doing a little research I learned this model is a collectible item of value, and that Mum’s little Featherweight is worth in the vicinity of $350 now.

I still haven’t used this machine (since many years ago) because it should be thoroughly cleaned first just to be on the safe side, but I tested it and it runs so quietly! In fact, it has a contented hum in comparison to my larger and heavier portable Kenmore which I bought for myself in 1976, and on which I made clothes for my daughters and myself.

Do you have anything you cherish that has been passed on to you?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂