About the Book: (65 Pages)

This manual is divided into sections covering complete maintenance, repair and restoration of the Featherweight Sewing Machine. The user friendly design with spiral binding permits the book to be laid flat. Pages printed single-sided allow for note-taking or sketches as you work.

The first half of the book concentrates on care of the machine. Beyond simple cleaning and oiling, the book lists possible problems and their cure. It describes “why” something may have happened and what steps can be taken to avoid the problem in the future. The remaining half of the book guides the reader through replacement of individual parts or, if desired, the entire restoration process of the Featherweight to a factory new appearance.

The author’s background as a technical illustrator is evidenced by the simplicity, clarity, and focus of the drawings used to support his text. He illustrates every part of the sewing machine providing easy to follow instructions on how to remove that part and reinstall it correctly. One section of the book details how to clean, rebuild and fumigate the machine’s carrying case. Another section is devoted to adjustment and repair of the foot pedal, one of the most neglected parts on any machine. The object of the book is simple:  Singer built the Featherweight to be maintained by its owner. Using this manual you can maintain your machine without compromise, enjoy substantial savings on shop repairs and even have some FUN doing it.

About the Author:

David McCallum, author and illustrator of “The Featherweight 221 and I”, is an artist, turned quilter, whose photo-realistic drawings have won numerous awards throughout his native Pacific Northwest. He works in black and white using both graphite and pen and ink because he is partially colorblind. He found the handling and use of color baffling - until now, that is.  Attending quilt shows with his wife brought about an awareness of quilting as an art form and he discovered that he could discern the colors in fabric that eluded him in his artwork.  Dave soon became an avid quilter. His fascination with antique sewing machines led him into yet another creative adventure - restoration and maintenance of these classics. While restoring his mother’s treadle , he bought his first Singer Featherweight and thus began a love affair with the sewing machine that is so cherished by quilters everywhere. Dave became frustrated with the lack of information available on the subject of restoration for antique sewing machines. What little he did find was scattered, very cryptic and lacking in details. As he researched, he developed classes designed to teach others how to maintain and restore their machines. The information gathered exceeded class handouts and inspired the creation of his book.
“The Featherweight 221 and I” is now in publication and available in many local quilt shops. Retired after 39 years in the workforce, Dave now devotes more time to quilting, teaching, and traveling. He operates a limited repair service for vintage sewing machines, but prefers instructing people on the care and maintenance of their own. Dave offers workshops on the subject as well as providing lectures or programs for interested groups.