SHOP BY CATEGORY

Our Story

The Featherweight Shop, LLC, originally named April 1930’s, began transitionally in the fall of 2005. Combining a love for sewing using the Singer Featherweight 221 and a passion for all things vintage and old-fashioned (particularly with respect to the 1930’s era), April Henry began a new sewing business.

With two small children, April’s sewing interests were geared more towards apparel at that time, so the little attachments, accessories and fashion aids piqued her interest. There was a certain sense of accomplishment when she was able to finish a dress or blouse by adding a dainty embellishment using an old Singer Sewing Machine Attachment (on her Singer Featherweight 221 & 222 machines, of course). Using photographic media and the internet, April enjoyed teaching others that they could accomplish the same techniques using their Singer Featherweight sewing machines.

Eventually, the business grew to the point where her husband, Carmon, left his former job as a mortician and became a full-time Singer Featherweight technician. He learned from those in the field of Singer Featherweights including Glenn Williams, Dave McCallum, as well as from a local long-time sewing machine repairman, Vern Johnson. Carmon and their son, Christian, have also received formal training at Ray White's School of Advanced Sewing Machine Repair.

Carmon maximized and mastered the technical side of servicing and maintaining Singer Featherweights and began teaching Maintenance Workshops and Classes to other Featherweight owners at local quilt shops. Today, Carmon and April, along with their two children, operate a full-service online Singer Featherweight 221 & 222 Sewing Machine and Attachments Shop.

However, the story doesn’t end there. Carmon had a special surprise to reveal at the beginning of 2015. Graham Forsdyke of London, England, the world renowned purveyor of Featherweights, retired and sold his Featherweight business and website to April 1930’s. Graham’s expertise, insight and service had earned him nearly two decades of rapport and reputability to the Singer Featherweight Community. What he accomplished and brought to the world of owning and collecting Singer Featherweights was unprecedented. He will always be the original “Purveyor of Singer Featherweights to the Gentry” and remembered for generations to come. His confidence in permitting Carmon and April to continue to provide his clientele with Featherweight service has truly been an honor and a privilege.

It was very important that Graham’s exhaustive Featherweight website and information (www.singer-featherweight.com) as well as April 1930’s Sewing Shoppe with all the vintage Singer attachment information (www.April1930s.com), be very carefully maintained and transferred as this newly merged website was developed and completed.

We look forward to many years of growing and building The Singer Featherweight Shop, so that we can all continue to enjoy the history and Featherweight reference as well as being the main source for Featherweight machines, parts and service.