Oh feathers… so light, so pretty and such a source of controversy when it comes to quilting!
Some people love them and some people hate them. For some people no quilt is complete without them and others think they are practically the calling card of the old guard of quilting and should be avoided at all costs. Middle ground is sort of hard to find on this feathery topic.
And you thought we were all just a bunch of get-along girls! ha! I have seen fights about feathers/fabric/ and binding clear a room faster then a hooker at a tent revival.. each side retreating to lick it’s wounds and ready themselves to come out to fight another day. It is CRAZY!
That said.. I LOVE feathers ( on the right quilt).. I love them twirly and girly, wild and crazy, some all and dainty and everything between. I am lucky my freaky feather style came to me pretty easy but has changed and become more “mine” over the past year and I really like that.
I like to think of feathers like fingerprints, each unique, wonderful and part of their own maker ( wow, can I be sappy or what??) But it is true.. I love looking at a quilt and saying ” oh look those are Angela’s feathers” or ” ohhhhh these are totally Karen” or even better yet.. “whoa! I wonder who did these, I have to meet them!”
Learning feathers is like any other part of quilting – it is about muscle memory and I would also say you have to have a pinch of “don’t give a feck” to loosen you up.. that or wine.. or both.. I am not counting!
I have rounded up a couple of the best tutorials I have seen on the subject and then in a future post I will show you how my feathers happen. The biggest tip I can give you is that practice is your friend and a big white board or pad of paper is where to start.
Some printable hand eye exercises for revving up your feather mojo by Feathered Fibers.
Feathers on your domestic machine by Diane Gaudynski
How about a little free help from Angela Walters ( she loves feather too!)
And if you are wanting more I can say that Angela’s video feather class is amazing and on sale right now! Online Quilting Class with Angela.
Next time.. my freaky-deaky badass feathers for your enjoyment!
pssst… I am a Craftsy girl.. the links in this post that go to Craftsy are affiliate linked.. but I only give you the good stuff.. so feel safe 🙂
