A White Featherweight - Isn't it just a paint job?

It is such a joy to have a Featherweight.  It's like joining an exclusive club.  Now, I have the sewing machine that so many quilters prize.

But, I've been finding out that the white of my machine is more than a paint job.  

Owning a Singer 66 and a Singer 15-91 has taught me how to search the web for information.  However, with the featherweight, there's information overload.  And, after sifting through that data, I'm realizing that my little machine is a bit different from other featherweights.

First, finding out its birth date is really challenging because apparently Singer did not keep good records during its production.  The one thing I know is that my machine is one of the youngest of the vintage featherweights and is from the 60s.

Of course, there's the obvious paint job that lacks most of the purty decals of the black featherweights.  But, there are other little differences.  The power cord doesn't detach which is convenient as I can't lose it.  But, this is a pain when stuffing everything into the carrying case.  I, also, found out that my "white" motor is actually the standard black motor painted white.  

I also have the original white belt that is irreplaceable.  My hubby asked if I wanted to get a black belt to use for everyday so that I could preserve the white belt.  But, I rather just be ginger with the white belt.  So, I've adjusted the motor so that my belt is as loose as possible to decrease wear and tear.

Another difference is that rather than gears and a rod, internally, my machine has another belt which is also difficult if not impossible to replace.  Note: the white belt can be replaced with a black belt.  But, I'm not sure if I would be able to replace the internal belt.  Eek.  Apparently, the internal belt doesn't usually break.

My manual is also specific to the White featherweight.  The photos in the manual depict the white machine's differences.  And, it states that my machine's motor does not need to lubricated which is an additional difference between the little white featherweight and a typical black featherweight.

Here's what my featherweight can do.   The stitching isn't perfect for a couple of reasons.  One, I'm still learning how to use the machine.  Two, the machine is still being adjusted.  Regardless, when I do everything right, this little machine is stitching beautifully.