Miss Carmella is an absolute joy to sew on. What a workhorse and speedy, too! Some sources report the Singer 301/301A can sew up to 1600 spm. I can attest she runs faster than my fastest machine, which boasts 1050 spm.
After sewing on her for a couple of weeks now, I understand why the slant shank was so revolutionary when Singer introduced it in the early 1950’s. Visibility is much improved when compared to low shank machines. I definitely don’t have to use a needle threader to thread the needle. There’s also more height from the machine bed to the light housing, which also improves my ability to see what I’m stitching.
New accessories arrived this week, so she’s now equipped with all the modern quilty attachments that I prefer to use. She’ll make her debut at this week’s Friday Sew Day. She also fits in the same Buc-cee’s padded cooler bag that I use for transporting my FW in a vehicle. Miss Carmella’s about 5 pounds heavier than a FW, so we’ll see how well that works.
If you decide to pick up a 301/301A, upgrade to an LED bulb and an electronic foot control. Spool pin springs will help tame the thread spools. Also realize that the cute spool pin doily from your Featherweight probably isn’t going to fit your 301.
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