BackgroundThe story
The Featherweight began outside Singer. Wikipedia credits Raymond Plumley and Richard Hohmann, engineers at the Frederick Osann Company, with a lightweight cast-aluminium machine designed in 1928. Singer developed the idea into the Model 221, and singer-featherweight.com records the first batch of 10,000 being commissioned at Elizabethport on 3 October 1933.
Its public debut was at the Chicago World’s Fair. Sources differ on the year: sewalot says 1933, while Wikipedia and singer-featherweight.com say 1934, and some machines carry a “Century of Progress Chicago 1934” badge. At roughly a third of the weight of other machines (sewalot), it was a full-function lockstitch machine you could carry by one hand.
Production stopped from 1942 to 1944 under the War Production Board’s Limitation Order L-98, then resumed in September 1945. Kilbowie in Scotland joined in August 1947. Black machines ended in 1961, and the white 221K and tan 221J carried the line to the late 1960s. Today it is prized by quilters for its straight stitch and portability.
ReferenceSpecification
Specification plate
- Years made
- 1933 to about 1969. Sources differ on the end date: singer-featherweight.com says 1968–69, sewalot says 1969, ISMACS lists 1933–1971, and Wikipedia says original production ended in 1961. Sources vary
- Factories
- Elizabethport, New Jersey (221); Kilbowie, Scotland (221K, from August 1947); St Jean, Quebec, Canada (tan 221J, 1961–69).
- Size and bed
- Portable flatbed with a fold-up left bed extension. Low shank. No free arm; the feed dogs cannot be dropped.
- Hook and bobbin
- Rotary hook; uses its own Class 221 bobbin (Singer part 45785), which the 301 also uses.
- Needle
- 15x1 (130/705H), flat side to the left, threaded right to left.
- Drive
- External motor driving the machine by belt.
- Stitches
- Straight stitch only, with reverse.
- Weight
- Just over 11 lb (about 5 kg).
- Production
- About 3–3.5 million (Wikipedia and sewalot).
Serial numbers: US machines carry A-series prefixes (for example AD–AM); Scottish 221Ks carry E-series prefixes.
IdentificationHow to recognise a 221 Featherweight
The Featherweight is small, usually black, and folds into a square carrying case. The left end of the bed flips up. If a small black Singer weighs about 11 lb and takes a round bobbin that sits under a vertical-facing hook, you almost certainly have a 221.
Colour narrows it further. The white or pale turquoise machines (collectors call the colour “celery”) are the 221K from Scotland; the tan machines are the 221J from Canada, made 1961–69. Sources differ on the dates of the white 221K: the ISMACS model list gives 1955–64, singer-featherweight.com gives 1961–69.
US-made 221s have a chrome-rimmed handwheel; UK-made 221Ks have a plain black painted wheel (singersewinginfo). Wartime “Blackside” machines from July 1941 also have blackened parts in place of chrome.
US machines use a round-pin plug and socket for the motor and foot controller; UK machines use a similar socket with flat pins (singersewinginfo).
On most machines the light switch sits on the bed. The 221K4 is the only version with the switch built into the lamp body (singersewinginfo).
From 1952 a graduated throat plate with seam-guide lines replaced the plain plate (singer-featherweight.com), so a plain plate points to an earlier machine or a swapped part.
A small “221-” emblem below the main badge was added in mid-1953 (singer-featherweight.com); singersewinginfo also notes model number plates appear after 1953.
The white machines have no decorative decals, a slightly shorter extension table, and a foot controller wired straight into the machine with no plug (singersewinginfo).
In detailFaceplates and decals: a quick timeline
- Scrolled faceplate: 1937–1947 on US machines, to about 1951 on UK machines.
- Striated (lined) faceplate: from 1947.
- Egyptian scroll / Celtic decals gave way to Paperclip/Prism decals from 1954.
- Red “S” badge on UK machines, 1959–61.
- ISMACS also records a crinkle-finish (“Godzilla”) 221.
Source: singer-featherweight.com timeline and ISMACS. Use the serial number to date the machine itself; the faceplate and decals then tell you whether parts are original to that date.
VersionsVersions and sub-models
| Version | What sets it apart |
|---|---|
| 221-1 | The US-made original from Elizabethport, fitted with a Series 3 motor (singersewinginfo). |
| 221K1 | Early Kilbowie version with a CAK6 motor and the light switch on the base (singersewinginfo). |
| 221K4 | Kilbowie version with the lamp switch on the lamp body and an RF suppression capacitor under the baseplate (singersewinginfo). |
| 221K5 | Kilbowie version with a CAJ6 motor and the light switch on the base (singersewinginfo). |
| 221K7 | The white “last of the line” machine with an internal toothed belt replacing the earlier cam and rocker drive, making it slightly quieter (singersewinginfo). |
| 221J | The tan machine; singer-featherweight.com says it was made mostly in Quebec, Canada, while singersewinginfo says Canada and Scotland. |
Parts and accessoriesBobbins, attachments and the parts it takes
Class 221 bobbin, part 45785, shared with the 301. Bobbins for other Singers look similar but will not run properly.
Part 45751, the same case used on the 222K and 301 (Goldstar Tool and singer301.com). Original cases may be stamped 45750.
Every Featherweight came with a set: adjustable hemmer (35931), hemmer (120855), binder (121464), gatherer (121441), quilter (35932), ruffler (86642), underbraider (121547), cloth guide and screw (25527) and two screwdrivers (singersewinginfo). Sewalot says well over 100 attachments will fit.
The 221 cannot drop its feed dogs, so a feed dog cover plate is used for darning and free-motion work (ISMACS lists them; singer-featherweight.com notes you must cover the dogs on a 221).
Foot controllers changed from metal to slotted then solid bakelite in 1936, back to metal in 1941 and to bakelite again in mid-1946 (singer-featherweight.com). The white 221K7 has a clamshell controller and a CAK8 motor (singersewinginfo).
Case styles changed several times, from the D-ring handle of late 1934 to the 1953 case with an integrated handle and controller bracket. White machines came in pale blue and dark blue cases in Europe and Canada, and light and dark green cases in the US (singersewinginfo).
MaintenanceLooking after it
Clean lint out, then put one drop of sewing machine oil in each oil hole: about one drop a month if you sew daily, one a year for occasional use. Sewalot warns that over-oiling can impair sewing.
Black, tan and early white motors have two lubricant ports with felt wicks. Fill them with proper motor lubricant once or twice a year. Never put sewing machine oil or petroleum jelly in the motor (singer-featherweight.com).
Black and tan Featherweights have gears to grease at the top and bottom of the machine. The belt-driven white 221K should not be greased at these points (singer-featherweight.com).
If the wicks have hardened, singer-featherweight.com suggests warming the port with a hairdryer while the motor runs so old lubricant flows to the shaft. Take care not to push a wick out; they are very hard to replace.
The felt pad in the bottom drip tray soaks up excess oil. Replace it when you service the machine (singer-featherweight.com).
General advice from the sources listed below. If in doubt, follow your machine’s Singer manual.
Before you buyWhat to check on a used 221 Featherweight
- Condition first. Sewalot’s advice on Featherweights is “condition, condition and … condition.”
- Test the stitch. Skipped stitches are most often a needle put in the wrong way round or wrong threading, not a fault.
- Bobbin winding. If the needle moves while you wind a bobbin, the stop-motion knob on the handwheel hasn’t been loosened.
- Jams. Thread caught behind the bobbin case base is a common cause.
- Check that the case, foot controller and bobbin case are present; a missing bobbin case needs the correct 221 part.
Source: singer-featherweight.com FAQ and sewalot.
In-person checks
QuestionsFrequently asked questions
How do I tell what year my Featherweight was made?
Look up the serial number stamped on the bed. US machines of the 1930s–50s carry AD, AE, AF, AG, AH, AJ, AK, AL and AM prefixes; Scottish 221K machines carry E-series prefixes. Our lookup tool gives the allotment year and factory.
Is the 222K the same as the 221?
No. The 222K is a Scottish-made free-arm version: the flat bed can be removed, and a lever drops the feed dogs. See our 222K page.
What needle does a Featherweight use?
A standard 15x1 (130/705H) domestic needle, inserted flat side to the left.
Who invented the Singer Featherweight?
Wikipedia credits Raymond Plumley and Richard Hohmann of the Frederick Osann Company, who designed a lightweight aluminium machine in 1928. Singer developed it into the 221.
Were Featherweights made during the Second World War?
No new ones were made from 1942 to 1944 because of the War Production Board’s Limitation Order L-98. Production resumed in September 1945 (singer-featherweight.com).
Can I lower the feed dogs on a 221?
No. The 221 has no drop feed, so you fit a feed dog cover plate for darning or free-motion work. Only the 222K has a lever to drop the feed dogs.
Why is the white Featherweight quieter?
The white 221K7 uses an internal toothed belt instead of the earlier cam and rocker drive, which singersewinginfo says made it slightly quieter.
How can I tell a US Featherweight from a British one?
Look at the handwheel and plug. US 221s have a chrome-rimmed handwheel and round-pin plugs; UK 221Ks have a black painted wheel and flat-pin plugs (singersewinginfo).
ReferencesSources
Where sources disagree we show each figure rather than choosing one. Spotted an error? Tell us.
- singer-featherweight.com/blogs/schoolhouse/singer-featherweight-faqs
- singer-featherweight.com/blogs/schoolhouse/timeline-history-of-the-singer-featherweight
- ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/singer_featherweight_sewing_machine.html
- sewalot.com/singer_featherweight_222_221_alex_askaroff_sewalot.htm
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singer_Featherweight
- singer-featherweight.com/blogs/schoolhouse/motor-lubricant
- singer-featherweight.com/blogs/schoolhouse/learning-about-motor-felt-wicks
- singer-featherweight.com/blogs/schoolhouse/free-arm-featherweight-222k-and-how-it-differs
- www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/singer_machines/featherweight
- www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/singer_machines/featherweight/models/221k
- www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/singer_machines/featherweight/models/221k7
- www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/singer_machines/featherweight/featherweight_accessories
- www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/singer_machines/featherweight/buying_tips
- www.goldstartool.com/featherweight-bobbin-case-singer-45751.htm
- www.singer301.com/accessories/default.html
Last reviewed October 2026