How to Clean and Replace the Felt Drip Pad Liner on a Singer Featherweight

Today at The Featherweight Shop, Carmon and Ruthie will be showing you how to change the Felt Drip Pad on your Singer Featherweight properly! The felt drip pad that is underneath absorbs excess oil and, if heavily saturated, probably needs replacing.  Not only will it take care of a simple routi...

Light Flickering with Foot Controller Depression ~ Electrical Adjustment

  The light should only turn on and off with the flick of the switch, not the foot controller. So, if you press on the Featherweight foot controller and the light flickers off just as the motor runs, then there has been an inadvertent electrical reversal at some point in the machine's wiring his...

Why Is My Singer Featherweight Sewing Slowly?

Vintage Singer Featherweight sewing machines are widely known for their straight stitches, speed, and reliability. But, as you sew, a sluggish or slow sewing machine is a sure sign that something is amiss. Fortunately, simple tools and a little Singer know-how can quickly remedy the most common ...

Singer Featherweight Foot Controller Rewiring

Many Featherweight owners send us their original Foot Controllers for rewiring. We offer this service for those who want to keep their Original Foot Controller and Bakelite plug but want it to be electrically safe. The video above demonstrates the process of rewiring an original Singer foot con...

How To Use Sew-Retro Oil Tutorial

Welcome to The Featherweight Shop's Sew-Retro Sewing Machine Oil maintenance tutorial! Today, we will review the proper amount of oil needed to maintain the Singer Featherweight sewing machine. Plus, learn how to properly store Sew-Retro Sewing Machine Oil for short-term or long-term storage.  S...

How to Clean & Polish Your Singer Featherweight

Easy to clean and easy to polish!  Have you ever wondered how some Featherweight machines look polished and beautiful while others look dull or oily?  Watch the video tutorial below all the way through and learn how to take your average looking Featherweight and turn it into something beautifully...

White Singer Featherweight Badge Replacement Tutorial

Learn how to install the new replica badge for the White Singer Featherweight in this step-by-step video tutorial with Carmon from The Featherweight Shop. The original white Featherweight badges were a foil that was glued in place. The new Replica Red S Badge is a strong aluminum with a sticker-l...

Restore Along: Featherweight Case Restoration Starts Here

Welcome to the Singer Featherweight Case Restore Along! We are so excited to introduce this series, which takes an in-depth look at each of the steps of stripping down and restoring a Featherweight Case with Tolex and Fabric! Read Restore Along: Part 1 HERE Join us on Friday, February 26th...

Why is My Needle Not Centered in the Needle Hole?

A common question among Featherweight owners is, "Why is the needle not centered in the needle hole?" Although it may be quite concerning, the answer will put you at ease! Find out why here.

Cleaning & Repair for Secure Thumb Screw Placement

  NOTE:  This tutorial is for the Singer Featherweight 221 model in original black, white or tan.  It will work for the Featherweight 222 as well, but the throat plate on a 222 is made of steel, so this technique will rarely be necessary. Products and Tools Referenced: Thumb Screw (Vintage) Thum...

Part 3 of 3 - Featherweight Light Wiring, Troubleshooting a Flickering Light

Featherweight Light Wiring Tutorial Series - Part 3 of 3   In Part 2 of the Light Wiring Series, we examined the light wires and followed a step-by-step process for repair.  Today, in our final installment of the Light Wiring Series, we will discuss the causes as well as how to...

Part 2 of 3 - Featherweight Light Wiring Troubleshooting & Repair

Featherweight Light Wiring Tutorial Series - Part 2 In Part 1 of the Light Wiring Series, we did a basic cleaning of the light wiring lead sheath underneath the machine, which helps to remove some of the exposed oxidation residue that can build up over a long period of time.  Reme...

Part 1 of 3 - Featherweight 221 Light Wiring Series

Part 1: A Tutorial on Cleaning the Lead Sheath on a Singer Featherweight 221. Products & Tools Referenced: Light Socket with Sheath Wera Safety Screwdriver (also available in the Set of 4) Gear Cleaning Brush Low Odor Kerosene and Long-Spouted Bottle Sew Retro Grease Small Terry-Clo...

Backstitching & Reverse (Getting To Know Your Featherweight, Part 7)

If your Singer Featherweight is missing its instruction manual, we have replicas available for both the Singer 221 and Singer 222.  You can then read along as you follow Ruthie in the Getting To Know Your Featherweight Series.   Related Products and Helpful Tutorials: Presser Foot Stitch Leng...

Turning a Corner (Getting To Know Your Featherweight, Part 6)

Let's continue working through the instruction booklet that comes with the Singer Featherweight 221 or 222, learning how to Prepare For Sewing in Part 6 of our Getting To Know Your Featherweight Series. Follow along with the video tutorial above, or scroll down and read through the text and imag...

Bobbin Winder Servicing

Do you have to hold the bobbin winder down in order to get it to wind?  If so, then the washers around the bobbin winder screw either need replaced or turned around.  Follow the video tutorial or step-by-step photo tutorial below to learn a few simple tips for servicing your Singer Featherweigh...

Tension Unit Proper Threading

Learning to identify the thread path following a routine servicing and maintenance will help diagnose initial stitch tension inconsistencies and give confidence about learning to service a Singer Featherweight further. Parts Mentioned or Used: Tension Unit Tension Disks Upper Tension Take-Up S...

Presser Foot Height Adjustment and Alignment

Is the presser foot misaligned?  Is the fabric swimming or wandering under the presser foot?  Are their skipped stitches when sewing over thick seams?  Then this tutorial will help with troubleshooting these common problems.  In a previous tutorial we showed how to properly adjust the actual pre...

Presser Foot Pressure Adjustment

Today we are going to be addressing the presser foot pressure, or downward force on the presser foot. Parts Discussed: Presser Foot Presser Bar Presser Bar Spring Presser Bar & Spring (for white Featherweights only) Pressure Knob Singer 221 Feed Dogs Throat Plate Hook Assembly Featherweigh...

Prepare For Sewing (Getting To Know Your Featherweight, Part 5)

As we continue working through the instruction booklet that comes with the Singer Featherweight 221 or 222, we will now learn how to Prepare For Sewing in Part 5 of our Getting To Know Your Featherweight Series. Let's Prepare for Sewing!  Follow along with the video tutorial above, or scroll dow...

How To Replace the Bobbin Case Latch

Follow along with the tutorial below to learn how to replace the Bobbin Case Latch on a Singer Featherweight 221 or 222.  When does the Bobbin Case Latch need replaced or serviced? Replace the latch when it is actually broken.  Service the latch when it will not spring b...

Stuck Stop Motion Knob & Handwheel

Today we are addressing a Stop Motion Knob that will not turn on your Singer Featherweight 221 or 222.  Loosening the Stop Motion Knob is necessary to wind a bobbin, but being able to tighten it so that regular sewing can resume is just as important. There are two causes that...

Thread Guide Replacement Tutorial

Welcome to The Featherweight Shop. In this tutorial, we are going to take you through the steps to replace the Thread Guide (as pictured below), which is located right above the tension unit. Thread Guide Featherweight Shop Thread Guide Replacement Video Tutorial At The Featherweight Shop, we c...

Tension Unit Post Removal Tutorial

Learn how to properly remove the Tension Unit Post or stud in this step-by-step video tutorial by Carmon Henry from The Featherweight Shop.  The transcript of the video tutorial, as well as all products needed to follow along are below. Please contact us with any questions or comments. Enjoy!   ...

Superbelt - An Improved Belt for the Singer Featherweight

The old belt on a Singer Featherweight has a technologically advanced improvement!  Softer, faster and better for your Featherweight motor performance.  Learn how to install and adjust the Superbelt in the video tutorial below. Update!  One of the advantages to the Superbelt is its superb grip t...

Featherweight Motor Brush Replacement Tutorial

Today, we are going to be learning about Motor Brush Replacement. Although they are frequently overlooked, carbon brushes are a critical element of an electric motor. Not only is it important to be aware of the motor brushes in a Featherweight motor, but knowing what to look for in a replacement...

Motor Removal Process on Your Singer Featherweight 221 & 222

Learn how to safely and properly remove the motor from your Singer Featherweight 221 & 222. You will find a step-by-step instruction with pictures and video tutorial to walk you through the process.

How to Adjust Tension on an Early Singer Featherweight Model

Learn how to easily and properly adjust the upper tension as well as completely disassemble and reassemble the tension unit on an early non-numbered old style tension unit.  This style is from the very early days of the Singer Featherweight 221. Christian will walk you through each step showing y...

Maintenance Screwdrivers for the Singer Featherweight 221 or 222K

These are the Featherweight Screwdrivers that everyone has been talking about from our Singer Featherweight Maintenance Workshop Tour of 2016. VIDEO #1 VIDEO #2 BELOW From Germany, this Wera Screwdriver is, by far, the best screwdriver we have found for use on the Singer Featherweight sewing ma...

How to Smooth a Burr or Rust Spot on Hook Assembly, Tension Disks, etc.

Watch Video Tutorial below . . . Is your machine skipping stitches and you've tried every possible troubleshooting suggestion?  Do you feel a small burr on your machine's hook assembly or or loop guard?  Do you see a rusty corroded spot or two on the tension disks?  Well, this simple but useful ...

How to Easily Remove the Handwheel Collar Bushing

If thread or debris gets pulled behind the handwheel, it can lodge around the shaft behind the handwheel collar / bushing.  This can greatly slow down your Featherweight by causing undue stress on the motor.  The handwheel collar is actually pretty difficult to remove and damage often occurs when...

Capacitors - Why Did My Featherweight Start Sewing By Itself All of the Sudden?

Many Featherweight owners have asked, "what are these silver cylinders inside my foot controller?"  For several of the Featherweights manufactured in the UK, capacitors were added inside the foot controller, motor, or the machine itself.  The purpose of capacitors was to cut down on electrical fe...

How to Apply Decals to the Singer Featherweight

Are you restoring a Singer Featherweight?  This video tutorial will show you how to easily apply the Singer Featherweight waterslide decals to the painted surface of the machine.  Decals are available in a gold "Celtic Knot" for Featherweights made from 1933 - 1937, 1937 - 1953, and the paperclip...

How to Repair a Speedy Clamshell Style Foot Controller

A few years ago we posted the tutorial for how to adjust the original bakelite foot controller and since then have received many requests for how to do the same speed adjustment on the "clamshell" style foot controller, most often seen on white Featherweights, but sometimes with the black Singer ...

How to Replace the Green Case Handle for a White Featherweight

If your green case handle is broken or missing and your green Singer Featherweight case is the style that would have had pins* holding the handle in place, then this tutorial will walk you through the easy process for replacing with a high quality, solid green replica.    *******************...

Case Key Tutorial - Singer Featherweight 222

This tutorial will show you how to lock and unlock a Singer Featherweight 222 case.  

Case Key Tutorial - Singer Featherweight 221

This tutorial will show you how to lock and unlock a Singer Featherweight 221 case. *This key is not the style for the green case suited for the White Featherweight.  

How To Replace the Case Handle

This tutorial is focused on the later style case handles; the ones that would be considered more straight and in-line and attached to the case lid using metal posts.  They are more cumbersome to remove, let alone install, but after finding a high quality replica leather case handle that includes ...

Troubleshooting Stitch Problems (Skipped Stitches, Thread Looping, etc.)

This is Singer Featherweight Stitch Formation 101!  If your Singer Featherweight is skipping stitches, not stitching at all, won't pick up the bobbin thread or perhaps the thread is looping or causing an awful thread mess on the underside of your fabric, then this video tutorial will show you the...

Removing the Presser Bar Lifter

If your presser bar lifter is broken or you need to remove it for paint preparation/restoration, then this quick video tutorial will show you how to do just that.  It's a bit tricky, but after receiving the question from a customer on our Singer Featherweight facebook group, Carmon made this impr...

How To Remove a Singer 222K Featherweight Bed Extension

If you have a Singer 222 free-arm Featherweight and the bed extension does not slide off easily, then this video tutorial will be helpful in showing you how to remove it.  Sometimes you have to give it a hard tug and other times the bed will need to be tapped out from the side end.  Watch the tut...

Featherweight LED Bulb Comparison

Which LED light bulb is the right one for the Singer Featherweight 221 or 222K sewing machine?  Carmon Henry answers that question and explains how they differ and why some work in the light sockets and some do not.  We are often asked, "Will your LED bulb fit in my Featherweight because I have h...

How To Get Rid of the Moldy Mildew Smell in a Featherweight Case

The first thing to check is the felt drip pad underneath the machine. Unscrew the large nut on the bottom tray and if the felt drip pad is saturated with oil like the one shown above then it not only needs a new one, but it could be holding some of the musty odor being emitted by the case. Th...

How To Refurbish a Singer Featherweight Case

In this video tutorial, our young daughter, Ruthie, will show you all the restoration steps for how to clean, polish and refurbish/restore a Singer Featherweight case.  This process will work on all black Singer Featherweight cases. On our Singer Featherweight Maintenance Workshop Tour this past ...

Learning About the Motor Lubricant Ports

Ever wondered what it looks like inside your motor or how much lubricant is required to put in that deep dark motor lubricant port?  This video tutorial will show you a perfect cross-section cut-away of the motor's interior as well as the different motor lube port styles.  There is one kind that ...

The Giant Schmetz Needle Tutorial

Using a giant needle as an example in the video far below, you will learn the various parts of a needle, as well as the importance of having a smoothly finished eye. One of our favorite needles to recommend is a Microtex Schmetz.  They're sharp and they pierce exactly at the point of fabric ent...

How to Loosen the Spool Pin Coverplate if the Screw is Too Tight

If your spool pin coverplate seems to be impossible to remove because of that stuck or stripped spool pin screw, this quick impromptu video might be just the trick to help you.  Once you get your spool pin cover plate removed, be sure to not screw the screw back down too tightly -- just finger ti...

How To Properly Set the Needle (Getting To Know Your Featherweight, Part 3)

How To Properly Set The Needle Part 3 of the Getting To Know Your Singer Featherweight 221 series will show you how to properly set your Singer Featherweight needle.  This tutorial by Ruthie will be especially helpful if you notice your machine having skipped stitches or even if your bobbin thre...

How Thread Affects Maintenance, Upper Tension & Bobbin Tension

Hello everyone, Carmon here. There has been a lot of discussion about thread brands the last couple of days on our Singer Featherweight 221 & 222K Sewing Machines Facebook group so I thought I would weigh in. As a teacher of Featherweight Maintenance Classes and Workshops, and the owner of T...

How to Adjust the Stitch Length Lever

Yesterday, there was a question on our Facebook group about the stitch length lever (or sometimes called the "stitch length regulator") and so this video tutorial was made to help answer that question as well as addressing a couple other things, too.  I will show you what to do if the lever is to...