quilting with 221

I know nothing about Singers and/or Featherweights, but if you got yours from Goodwill you prolly bought it cheap? If you don't like it, the Featherweights bring a pretty good price when you sell them. Just a thought.... hope someone else posts something that's more helpful to you. And welcome to rctq!

Leslie & The Furbabies > I don't get it so I am asking this group. I recently rescued a

I love it, by the time I paid my singer man over a 100.00 to service it, I might as well got it from ebay, had to have the foot pedal rewired because of a short as well. So..really I was hoping I could pretty much do everything with this little machine. I can hardly move around any of my other machines, so thought this was ideal for me.

Maybe someone can suggest a needle size for punching with it? Im very new to quilting, but not sewing. I always used my old singer

15 to do heavy work. But with this seeming to be so popular with quilters I thought for sure it would go thru a few layers?

I don't know anything about the machine, but 85/12 is the usually recommended quilting size, you need to go smaller to get through, not bigger, you can also try a specific quilting needle which has an elongated point, also to make sure it goes right through.

What type of foot are you using?

Anne

I am using a regular foot, didnt think I would need a special foot, for so few layers? The needle size is singer 90/14

I wonder what kind of needle this was? The type of point of the needle is also very important. Perhaps, as you were having some difficulty, it was a 'universal' needle? The tip[ of a universal needle is slightly rounded. The 'universal' refers to the fact that it can go through woven *and* knit fabrics. For quilting, you really do need a sharp tip. I don't know what range Singer make, but you need either something called a 'quilting' needle, a 'sharp' or a 'jeans' (that sounds chunky but it has a very long and sharp tip). The fact that you have three layers means that one can move against the others in different timing. A walking foot ensures that the top layer is kept moving at the same speed as the bottom layer (which is moved by the feed dogs). . In message , msfirefly writes

okay I looked the needle up,

90/14 designed for medium weight woven fabrics such as linen, poplin, gabardine, terry, medium corduroy, brocade and velvet.

Thank you for all the help, seems I have read that only the singer penguin walking foot (old one), works well on this machine, which I cant afford the prices for that on ebay or find one locally, however, I will try a different needle. If anyone can suggest a good low shank walking foot they have had luck with on a featherweight, Im all ears as well.

Thanks again!

Featherweights are the best for *piecing*, but too small and light to

*quilt* much more than 2 layers of a miniature. Lots of us are possibly a bit sloppy and talk about "quilting" in a general way, when we really mean "piecing". Although it's not a quilt until it's quilted! Roberta in D

"msfirefly" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@l77g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...

Don't be snockered into thinking you need to buy the expensive "for the featherweight!' attachments from eBay sellers who would love to part you with your hard earned cash. :)

=46act is, any short shank foot made for a straight stitch only machine will work on your 221, inc. a walking foot. These are readily available. Even my JoAnn fabric store has them. =20

If you can find an old Singer straight shank walking foot (same will fit a model 15) it will be a bit better made and will also work just fine.

As for the machine quilting part, yes your Featherweight should be able to perce those layers. Either your service person didn't adjust the belt properly, the belt is old, or you possibly need a different needle? A properly adjusted and set up machine will sew through 6 layers of denim using the right needle (size 18) and a long stitch length. (all of my FWs do).=20

Another place to look for feet:

Those little machines are just great!

-Irene

rene when you say size 18, is this a singer needle or another? I am finding different types for the term size 18.

My belt is new and recently installed when serviced. I will try to pick up some new needles and a walking foot asap so I can test to see if this is the reason. If not I need to get the machine back to the singer repair, and have them readjust perhaps.

It is good news to me to hear you say I should be able to go thru these layers with it. I was about to just think, well the motor isnt strong enough, being so small.

anything with multiple layers has the potential to shift about, I'd consider trying a walking foot if you are doing straight lines, or a darning/embroidery foot if you are doing curves.

I'd definitely try smaller before giving up.

Anne

Ms Firefly, I've quickly looked through all the responses you've received and don't see if anybody has told you whether the Featherweight you have demands a 'Singer' needle and nothing else is going to fit or work. Worse yet, I don't know. If IMS (Irene) tells you that the featherweight will quilt, then it will. Seems like Irene has something like a hundred Singers and is about as close to experienced as you're going to get around here. If she says perhaps your new belt isn't adjusted properly, it may not be but first I'd recommend getting the needle problem solved. Patti has explained what you need in the size and shape of the needle. I'm betting that if the needle in your featherweight won't pierce that you will want to go back and read her advice too. As to the need for a walking foot ? - cheap or expensive - you don't need one. I'm not the brightest bulb in this string but I've quilted many a mile and the walking feet that came with my sewing machines never get to come out of their boxes. Polly

Well, the 221 is a small machine. Very little space under the arm in which to maneuver a quilt sandwich. In general, I believe, Featherweights are loved for their wonderful straight stitch, and size which makes them convenient to carry to workshops, classes, guild sewing days and so on. Most people that I know that have one only use it for piecing, not for quilting. Sorry. Not sure what you paid for it, but a 221 in good shape goes for upwards of $300+ most places. So a good deal is a good deal. The Singer 15 is also an excellent machine. It should work well for the quilting, especially if it is in a table so that the bed of the machine is flush to the table top. The 221, as a portable, has a much smaller bed too, and, unless you are lucky enough to find or can make a table for it, it is more difficult to do the quilting on a machine with the bed higher than the table.

Love the Featherweight for what it can do, and do well. And use the 15 for what it does well. I long ago realized that in most cases asking a machine, of any type--sewing, woodworking,etc-- to do more than one thing means probably making compromises about how well it does anything.

Pati, > I don't get it so I am asking this group. I recently rescued a

About needles. Sometimes Singer machines need to use Singer needles. (Which should never be used in other brand machines, by the way.) Singer makes 2 styles of needles (plus a leather one, I think), Sharp and Ball point. I *think* that the red band are the sharp and the yellow are ball point. I don't use a walking foot, but I do loosen the pressure foot pressure. You can do that on a 221, but it is a bit more difficult to get it back exactly as you had it since there are not numbers,etc on the adjustment screw. If you are planning to do free motion, you will have to cover the feed dogs and loosen the pressure to almost nothing. Some 221s, if I remember correctly have a needle that is not centered the same as most machines. Those require different feet. Some shops, including on line ones, carry "generic" feet that may fit. You can check and see if they do. (I know that both Nancy's and Clothilde's carry the feet. Not positive about any one else.) Good luck with it, and have fun.

Pati, in Phx

Yes, Singer and other manufacturers make size 18 needles. But these I would keep for using on denim, canvas, and the like.

Also to make sure to get the 'type' of needle for the fabric you are using; ball point needles are used for knits, and 'regular point' needles for wovens.

The belt should have at least 1/4' of play in it, no more. Also, the stretch belts do not perform as good as a leather "V" shapped belt. So if your service person put a stretch belt (its like a big rubber band) on it, take it back and ask for a leather one :)

The 221 is not designed to sew through several layers of denim or canvas for hours on end every day, you'd need an industrial for that...but it can certainly be called upon to perform that function when the need arises.

Lots of people only use them for piecing but they were not originally designed for just that purpose, of course. My husband's grandmother had one, as does my SIL's mother...and both ladies used it for EVERYTHING...quilting, curtins, prom dresses, darning, etc. And they didn't have 2nd machines like many of us do LOL -- the little FWs were their only machine. - The FW was meant to be used as any regular sewing machine would be...and portable to make it available for folks who didn't have room for a full size machine in a cabinet and/or needed a lightweight portable. Just look through the FW manual and you'll see Singer didn't give them limitations :)

-Irene