Yes, I name my Featherweights

Fay Bainter

For people who don't collect sewing machines, it might sound odd that I name them. In my defense, I'm not the only one! It's just too confusing when I have some with the same "birth year," so I gave them names.
I still feel a bit sheepish, though, when I refer to my machines by name. I do it because it eliminates confusion for me, and amuses my husband.

I don't name my Kenmores for some reason. Maybe it's because they have different model numbers. So one is the 17741, and the other is the 1500. Or the brown one and the light green one. Or the one in the guest room and the one in the living room.
But the Featherweights have names. My husband loves old movies, and he has the names of all sorts of Oscar winners (people and movies) in his head. So I went with Oscar winners for some of the names. They are:

Fay: She is a 1938 machine, named for the 1938 Oscar winner for best supporting actress, Fay Bainter. I bought her on the online Goodwill site for $101.50. The listing said the motor didn't turn. I took a chance, having wanted a scroll-face Featherweight for a while. She arrived and it took me about five minutes to diagnose and cure the problem -- a thread jam. She is my quietest-running Featherweight.

Luise Rainer

Luise: She is a 1936 machine, named for the Oscar winner for best actress, Luise Rainer. I bought her on eBay.
Dorothy: She is another 1938 machine, named for someone who owned her before me. I bought her on eBay. Inside the top of the case is an address label attached with yellowing tape, which lists the previous owner as Dorothy Dewar of Fort Mitchell, Ky.
But wait, didn't I say I had six sewing machines? Stay tuned for the story of #6, Lenore!