Good morning and happy Wednesday!
Beth has been collecting Featherweight sewing machines the last couple of years. She has often taught sewing to adults and children. Eventually she would like to set up a sewing classroom and use the featherweights to teach kids how to sew.
I often assumed the featherweight was one of the first portable sewing machines. Boy was I wrong!
I stumbled upon this ad for a portable sewing machine which was advertised in 1920:
The earliest ad I could find was this one from 1917 (it shows the price).
Turns out, there were a lot of portable machines offered even in the 19th century. I've read a lot of conflicting timelines on when the first portable machine was invented but the one I found most interesting hails from the 1870s.
1874:
This machine attached to a table and allowed the woman to move the machine wherever she wanted. The machine was altered a variety of times eventually powered by a hand wheel.
Do you own a featherweight? I do have one and it is my back-up machine. How many machines do you own? I have quite a few (people gave me these) but only really use my Pfaff and the Featherweight.
Have a safe and happy day!
I do own one, a December '51 Centennial Edition. It was a friend's mom's machine and I cherish it. When it cools down and we get past the humidity, it may live on the porch for some fun...I love sewing out there with the windows open.
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