Preserving the Past for Future Enjoyment

Preserving the Past for Future Enjoyment

by Kate Sanchez

In a time of change and constant advancement in technology, it seems as though nothing is made to truly last, nor does it stay the same. But for some ladies in Roosevelt County, they’ve found a hobby in which spending a little time and energy into learning, has aided in the revival of their passion. For Micah Thompson and Beverly Bennett, both of Portales, they’re motivated to keeping learning about a particular model of Singer sewing machine that’s been around for many years.

In October of 1933, Singer commissioned the first batch of 10,000 Model 221 sewing machines and went on to market them as Singer “Featherweights”. A machine made with quilters in mind, the Featherweight makes a beautiful stitch and is highly desirable, not only because of its capabilities, but also because of its portability at just 11 pounds.

Even today, quilters are still using these intricate machines to make quilts in what most refer to as a “heritage hobby”; having no real need to build quilts like in years gone by, but rather, making them simply for the pleasure of doing so.

 

Thompson and Bennett are just a few ladies who own and enjoy these machines and they’ve recently gone out of the state to learn more about the maintenance and preservation of the Featherweight. The ladies attended a Featherweight Maintenance workshop in Lubbock, TX this month under the guidance of Nova Montgomery. Montgomery is nationally acclaimed and has conducted these workshops all over the U.S and internationally.

The information made available to the participants at the workshop was outstanding, and according to Thompson, it was a wonderful experience. Because the featherweights have all metal parts, they require some care, so the workshop demonstrated how to oil, clean, and grease gears, as well as how to clean the machine overall, to make it last another 70+ years. “These machines are little workhorses,” Thompson says, “Nova talked about how we aren’t using anything else that’s 70 years old because nothing lasted…Singer made them built to last.” Thompson and Bennet were two of five attendees at the workshop from NM and other guests traveled from as far as Utah and Colorado to learn these skills.

Thompson owns Featherweight models from 1947 and 1952 and quilts as a hobby, something she’s done since around 2013. Her grandmother taught her how to sew at an early age, but quilting has become an enjoyment for her in the past few years. Her daughter also shares in the enjoyment of the quilting hobby and has won Best of Show at the Roosevelt County Fair six times, as well as the big prize in the Home Economics category at the NM state Fair one on occasion. Bennett still uses a machine her grandmother gave her when she went to college. She’s had it for about 47 years.

If anyone in the area has a Singer Featherweight and would like more information or guidance on this, Thompson says she’s happy to share what she’s learned. She can be contacted at 575-760-9773.

To check out Nova Montgomery and these little workhorse sewing machines from the past :

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