Meet the newest addition to my vintage sewing machine tribe: A 1956 Singer Model 301A in Light Beige/Oyster White (LBOW) with a short bed. She was manufactured in Anderson, South Carolina.
This gal was farm fresh from an estate sale near Pensacola, Florida. My best guess is the former owner passed away. Someone tried to run the machine and made a big mess resulting in a thread jam of epic proportion. Said machine was deemed inoperable and spent time in someone’s storage shed. Thankfully no rust and no bugs – just a lot of dirt and a crumbly bobbin winder tire.
This old girl is stitching pretty after a good clean under the needle plate & bobbin assembly, a long drink of oil and a new needle. Yep, she’s in dire need of a complete spa day, but that will come after Christmas. I’ve ordered the few parts she needs (Quilter’s Connection or Featherweight Shop linked in sidebar). Since her user manual was missing, I joined a 301 enthusiast group on FB to obtain a printable user guide and service manual free of charge.
The 301 is often referred to as the Big Sister to the Featherweight 221. They share some of the same parts – most notably the same bobbins, bobbin case and hook assembly – but the 301 is a slant shank machine with an internal, gear-driven motor. While I absolutely adore my FW, the 301 may just become my new favorite for quilt piecing. To me, the visibility seems better compared to the FW and the harp area is definitely much larger.
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