OldSewinGear News Reviews & How To's

Got Steel? Singer 301 - the Featherweight's Big Sister

10/26/2014

Singer 301 Slant Needle "Featherweight"

Looking for a straight-stitch sewing machine? Direct drive motor? Steel gears?

There are a number of phenomenal vintage Singer sewing machines that will fill the bill; 15-91, 15-125, 201-1, 404, and 604 to name a few.

BUT, if you also want a lightweight portable, then the Singer 301 Slant Needle is the machine for you. Especially if you love the Singer 221 Featherweight but want a full-size machine for larger projects. In fact, the 301 is affectionately nicknamed "The Featherweight's Big Sister."

While it shares a number of features with the 221 Featherweight, the 301 is mechanically very different from the Featherweight.

Featherweight-class bobbin

The 301 is the first of Singer's legendary steel-gear direct-drive slant-needle family. Cast in lightweight aluminum, it's the only slant needle that doesn't have a rotary hook placed in front of the presser foot. Instead, the 301 uses the same bobbin as the 221 Featherweight, which mounts beneath the platform to the left of the needle.

Singer 301 "Trapezoid" carry case

The 301 has a flip-up sewing platform extension similar to the 221 Featherweight, and it was designed to be a portable sewing machine. It has a built-in carry handle and was packaged in a distinctive trapezoid-shaped carrying case.

Singer offered the 301 in two versions. The "long bed" version had a longer flip-up table, similar in length to the smaller Featherweight. The "short-bed" version had a shorter flip-up table conforming to the standard dimensions of the 201, 401, & 500.

The long-bed was designed to be strictly portable, while the short-bed could be used as a portable or cabinet machine when paired with a special bracket.

Cabinet cradle for Singer 301

Because it was intended to be portable, the 301 does not have hinge mounts. Which presented a bit of a problem if you want to mount the machine in a conventional cabinet.

Singer solved this problem by producing a funky cradle that clips onto the base of the 301. The cradle has standard hinge mounts enabling the machine to be mounted into a Singer cabinet.

The machine releases from the cradle with the press of a lever, further enhancing it's status as the perfect portable. (See "Rock-a-bye Baby: Singer 301 Cabinet Cradle" for more details. )

Singer also produced a portable table for the 301, similar to the card-table for the 221 Featherweight. But these tables are extremely rare, so happy hunting!

Long Bed 301 in "Trapezoid" case

The 301 head weighs a mere 16 pounds, but the overall weight with foot control and motor is closer to 22 pounds. Significantly lighter than the 15-91, which is a cast-iron behemoth or even the 401 which is cast aluminum with a lot of internal steel components.

When it comes to power, the 301 has the gear-driven chops to handle heavy fabrics but is gentle enough for fine dressmaking and quilting too. It's a domestic machine with a .72 amp motor so it isn't meant for day-in, day-out heavy duty sewing but it will do the job beautifully on an occasional basis.

The 301 also features a convenient drop-feed knob for darning or free motion work. Buttonhole and zigzagger attachments are avaiable for additional creative design flexibility.

So if you love the Featherweight but want a larger machine without belts, the 301 is the one for you! Lightweight enough to carry to quilting classes but with heavy duty power for hemming jeans or tackling light upholstery jobs too.

Got steel? The 301 Slant Needle sure does!

HappySewing!
Barbara
OldSewinGear...dedicated to helping you get the most out of your old sewing gear.

Special thanks to readers David, Lisalu, and Ann for sharing experiences and research that led me to make significant revisions to this article in the interests of accuracy and clarity.

22 Comments

Cadillac of Zigzaggers

8/6/2014

17 Comments

Greist Automatic Decorator

Confession time. I'm a bit of a klutz when it comes to using zigzagger attachments.

You know, those handy-dandy attachments that make your Featherweight or 15-91 act like a zigzag machine? They sure are nifty, but I've always found it a challenge to try to stitch in anything close to a straight line.

Eight built-in stitch patterns.

The automatic Singer zigzaggers are an improvement over the early no-frills models, but still leave a lot to be desired in my book. Granted, I'd probably get a whole lot better with lots and lots of practice.

But the other day I made a discovery. My sister gave me a box of miscellaneous garage-sale leftovers and it contained something I'd never seen before: a Greist Automatic Decorator.

Attached to a Singer 15-91.

As discussed in the article "To Greist or Not to Greist," some collectors turn up their noses at Greist attachments because they don't bear the Singer name. But that doesn't make them inferior. In fact, they can be decidedly superior at times, as I discovered when I tested this one.

How so?

Lever on side selects stitch pattern.

First of all, it's fully automatic, which means that there are eight stitch patterns built-in.

That's right...no cams or discs to change! A lever on the side selects the pattern and away you go. Another lever disengages the zigzag mechanism, allowing you to sew straight-stitch without removing the attachment.

Lovely stitch quality & straight rows!

Secondly, the side-to-side zigzag action is so smooth that it's not difficult to guide the fabric in a straight line. A refreshing difference.

Third, the stitch quality is the best I've seen from an attachment.

Last, but not least, it's one of the prettiest zigzag attachments I've ever seen. With its metallic gold jacket it's a perfect complement to the black and gold Singer Featherweight, 15-91, or other low-shank Singer of your choice.

So, would you like to see it in action?

Well you get to, whether you want to or not!

See what I'm talking about? The action is smooth and takes very little guidance.

So where can you find one? I've only seen one other like it in the years I've been collecting machines and attachments. The other one had a silver jacket and was made to fit a White sewing machine. I watch for them on eBay but have yet to see one. I don't know if that makes it rare...or simply underappreciated.

But keep your eyes open and maybe you'll get lucky!

Happy Sewing!

Barbara

OldSewinGear...dedicated to helping you get the most out of your old sewing gear.

17 Comments

March of the Penguin

8/9/2013

0 Comments

Several readers have asked for more video of the Singer Walking Presser Foot 160741 "Penguin."

Which presented a bit of a problem because I couldn't find the foot control and power cord for my Featherweight! It's on display in my office, but I use my slant needle 603 Touch & Sew for everyday sewing.

So I had to go spelunking in closets and the garage to find the Featherweight power cord to run a proper test. I finally located the foot control and cord in the Featherweight's case in a corner under my worktable.

I gave the Penguin a light oiling and let 'er rip. Without further ado, here's "Opus" in action:

The Penguin's walking action is a bit different than more modern walking foot attachments. The left side of the foot moves in sync with the feed dogs while the right side holds the fabric in place when the left side takes a step forward.

The Penguin is all metal and spring loaded, so it is a little noisier than modern plastic walking foot attachments. Otherwise it's smooth and efficient.

Thanks for giving me an excuse to have some more fun with this little guy!

Happy Sewing!
Barbara
OldSewinGear...dedicated to helping you get the most out of your old sewing gear.

0 Comments

Auto Reel vs Touch & Sew

7/22/2013

15 Comments

Singer 600 Auto Reel Sewing Machine

Pop Quiz, everyone!

What do you think when someone says "Singer Touch & Sew"?

Great machine? Plastic garbage?

What do you think when someone says "Singer Auto Reel"?

Great machine? Plastic garbage? Never heard of it?

Sorry, trick question. "Auto Reel" is what Singer called their new 600 Slant-o-Matic before someone thought up the name "Touch & Sew."

In fact the only difference between the earliest 600 Touch & Sew and the 600 Auto Reel is a new nameplate and a couple of rivets.

Time for a side-by-side comparison!

Singer 600 Auto Reel
Serial Number AN663953

Singer 600 Auto Reel

Auto Reel nameplate

Singer 600 Touch & Sew
Serial Number AN689066

Singer 600 Touch & Sew

Touch & Sew nameplate riveted over top of Auto Reel name.

Whatever name you call it, the Singer 600 is a vintage Singer slant needle worthy of attention. It's not a very attractive machine with its square styling and gray plastic face-plate. But it's graced with steel gears just like the classic Slant-o-Matics. The horizontal spool pin feeds smoothly and the wind-in-place bobbin is an improvement over the top-mounted Rocketeer bobbin winder.

It doesn't have as many built-in stitch settings as the 401 or 500, but it has the stitch patterns that matter and it sews a fine quality stitch.

Singer refined the bobbin winding mechanism when they introduced the 600E. The bobbin-winder button is located on the front right corner of the 600, but it's tucked inside the bobbin compartment on the later 600E.

So next time you see or hear "Singer Auto Reel" you'll know it's worth taking a look!

Happy Sewing!
Barbara
OldSewinGear...dedicated to helping you get the most out of your old sewing gear.

15 Comments

Zigzaggin' Along. Singer Automatic Zigzagger

6/23/2013

3 Comments

Early Singer Buttonholer

Sewing machine attachments, especially the really old ones, can be pretty strange looking.

Some look like instruments of torture while others look like dental appliances.

(Come to think of it, aren't dental appliances and instruments of torture the same thing?)

For example, the early Singer buttonholer...have you ever really looked at it?

Bernina Darning Attachment

I've had nightmares about getting my hair caught in that thing...

Then there's the darning hoop. Bernina made one that looks like a really painful retainer. Singer's version is pretty scary too.

One of the strangest looking contraptions is the zigzagger. It looks like the product of a lab experiment involving spiders and robots.

"This spidery
looking guy..."
Tom Hanks as Jim Lovell, Apollo 13

Sometimes it makes me think of the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) from Apollo 13...

Singer Automatic Zigzagger sewing machine attachment

Other times it reminds me of the scarab beetles in "The Mummy."

"Bugs? I HATE bugs!"
The Mummy

Zigzagger with 221 Featherweight

Either way, it's a strange looking device but a brilliant invention.

And it's a "must-have" for a Featherweight or 15-91 straight-stitch machine.

So how does it work?

On a zigzag sewing machine the needle moves side-to-side to produce the zigzag stitch. Obviously a straight stitch machine can't do that, so that's where the zigzagger attachment comes in.

The zigzagger moves the fabric side to side to produce the offset stitches. Early zigzaggers produced a simple zigzag stitch, but later evolved into the Automatic Zigzagger which used interchangeable cams to produce a wide array of decorative stitch patterns. (Visit our Singer Accessories Gallery for more photos.)

The Automatic Zigzagger attaches to the presser foot bar and needle bar similar to a buttonholer. The cams are top-loading, which allows you to change stitches without removing it from the machine.

Sewing with a zigzagger can be a little tricky because the fabric has to move side to side, which makes sewing in a straight line difficult. A little practice (or a lot) goes a long way. It does get easier!

By the late 1950's zigzag machines were sounding the death-knell for the straight-stitch sewing machine, but Singer continued manufacturing straight-stitch machines and zigzag attachments well into the 1960's.

So are you ready to zigzag on your straight stitch machine?

Zigzaggers still show up in thrift stores from time to time but may need a good cleaning and lubricating. They're also readily available on eBay but can get pricey. They come in vertical-needle and slant-needle variations, so be sure to get the right one for your machine.

Happy Sewing!
Barbara
OldSewinGear...dedicated to helping you get the most out of your old sewing gear.

3 Comments

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Got Steel? Singer 301 - the Featherweight's Big Sister

Cadillac of Zigzaggers

March of the Penguin

Auto Reel vs Touch & Sew

Zigzaggin' Along. Singer Automatic Zigzagger

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Got Steel? Singer 301 - the Featherweight's Big Sister

Cadillac of Zigzaggers

March of the Penguin

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Zigzaggin' Along. Singer Automatic Zigzagger

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