The last thing I need is another straight-stitch machine.
But this is a Singer 301A, one that is collectible, sews beautifully, is in cabinet #42 (the Art Deco cabinet with a matching bench, this one with the curved door instead of the curved drawers), and it was only $40, including accessories. Its condition is quite good and I like the black better than the tan or two-tone. And did I mention it was only $40?
The craigslist seller was very nice and explained he wanted to be rid of it, apologizing profusely for not being dressed for company. (He wasn't. In fact, he was hardly dressed at all, arriving at the door in his underwear.) But considering the age of the machine and that he had a vintage poster of Jayne Mansfield and her famous headlamps on the wall of his garage above the Datsun short bed he was rebuilding, it was all good. (Although he didn't understand my remark about high beams.)
It's a lightweight machine, only 16 pounds of cast aluminum toughness, engineered using a single point on a plane and deriving a 3-D 'tripod' from which the points of the machine's frame were placed. I'll do a blog post about the design as it's an interesting story and the machine is one of the more 'marvelous' as far as sewing marvels go.
It sews well and seems fast, faster than many of my other domestic machines. It's also smooth. I'll add more in the coming weeks as I get to know it (I've only owned it for about 6 hours). Stay tuned.
Beautiful machine! I have been wanting a 301, maybe I will get lucky like you did.
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks Thin Man! The 301 seems to be one of those machines that all collectors have, so I went for it. But I'm not looking forward to refinishing the veneer on the cabinet.
ReplyDeleteI've found craigslist to be the best source for vintage machines in my area. Sometimes people offer great machines for free just to get rid of them quickly. Keep on looking!
I have three of these and really like them (2 brown/cream - my favorite - and a black one). They sew great even if the Singer zz attachment does not work that great on lightweight fabrics. I have sewn a number of granddaughter dresses with them.
ReplyDeleteJohn Thomas
I'll probably keep my black one for a while (I like the machine and the cabinet) but I'll sell my LBOW (Light Brown, Oyster White) machine. I've never sewn on a 221 and I wonder why the 301 isn't nearly as highly regarded. To me, the 221 seems toy-like whereas the 301 is a full-sized machine; perhaps I need to do a side-by-side comparison.
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