whitepinesquilter Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 I keep practicing at my feather work because I tend to make sausages, and I so want to make pretty ones! It is coming along, and I found it's better for me to actually stitch the feathers out on something I want to keep and use. So I put these on the frame and practiced both contained feathers and meandering ones. Hopefully one of these years it will all click (sigh) The blue marking for the spine hasn't been rinsed out yet on the star quilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenscratch Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Those are terrific feathers. Great job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Szymaszek Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 Looks great to me. Love your designs too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlnewell Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 If you're not happy with them, just keep practicing. I noticed that I had a huge improvement in my feather work after quilting a show quilt for a friend that had lots of SID around applique pieces. I think I just gained greater control of the machine. Also, for me it's easier to do the hooked feather and get a fatter plume and still come in narrow along the spine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delld Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 You are on your way. They look great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qltnbe Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 My goal is to do feathers someday, so I have to give you credit for doing it on your quilts before you are super happy with the way they are turning out. I think your work looks great. Good for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 Those feathers look great!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeidiP Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 Marci, Don't be so hard on yourself. Those are great feathers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibbyG Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 I use stencils sometimes and chalk them on. It's good practice because they're perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted January 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 I use stencils sometimes and chalk them on. It's good practice because they're perfect. Libby, light bulb moment! Thank you for suggesting that, I dug around and found a couple I'm going to practice with,. I found when I get into the bump back feathering they are much more even shaped, but for the life of me I'm not "getting" any consistency once I start changing directions. I've found for my own quilting if I quilt a whole bunch of them the eye doesn't rest on any one sausage chain. . So tomorrow the stencils it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyG_Quilts Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 One thing that has helped my feathers improve is concentrating on making sure when I start and finish each feather that my stitching line is at about a 45 degree angle to the spine. Drawing helps too, to practice. Mine are finally starting to look like I want them to--most of the time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enchanted Quilting Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 I found that feathers were "so so" until all at once "it" clicked...then they just seemed to flow. You have a great start and will enjoy those pieces! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheri Butler Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 coming along nicely Marci!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharonarooni Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 I think they are looking great, Marci! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 It looks like yu are well on your way.. check out what Jamie Wallen says about practicing.. nothing like it..and it helps SO much Rita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted January 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 Thanks, Rita. Oh, I practice alright. I can make them beautiful on paper, but when I do it at the machine I just lose my mojo for some reason. I'll keep plugging away on paper and machine, I may or may not ever get them the way my drawings are, but I should just feel very fortunate that I have a machine I can quilt away on any design I choose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s.waits Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 Oh, Marci, those look great! I love the star quilt with the all over feathers. I've been wanting to try that, but so far I've chickened out every time I've considered it. I seem to have two problems with my feathers. When doing the bump back feathers, my backtracking is lousy! I just don't have sufficient control to trace back over the same stitch line. The other problem is that I'll start the row of feathers doing bump back (Kim Bruner) style feathers, and finish it doing non-bump back (DeLoa Jones) feathers. Somewhere along the way I switch methods without realizing I'm doing it! Needless to say, more practice is in order. Hang in there, you'll make them look like you want eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jandcembroidery Posted January 2, 2014 Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 I think they look great!! Mine neither look like feathers or sausages. I'm so far behind everyone else I just watch from the sidelines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted January 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 . When doing the bump back feathers, my backtracking is lousy! I just don't have sufficient control to trace back over the same stitch line. The other problem is that I'll start the row of feathers doing bump back (Kim Bruner) style feathers, and finish it doing non-bump back (DeLoa Jones) feathers. Somewhere along the way I switch methods without realizing I'm doing it! Needless to say, more practice is in order. Sharon, that is indeed exactly what happens to me! It's something about the change in direction, it's like a dyslexia thing of my hands on the controls! I'll keep plugging away Irena Bluhm has videos on YouTube of her formal feathers in which she intentionally doesn't backtrack right on top when she bumps back. And they look great that way - just another feather design! I like the 45 degree suggestion - I've been trying to come up with some type of guideline, and that may help. Thanks, KathyG. And Charlotte, I look forward to the 'it' smacking me real soon! I appreciate the feedback, both ways. It helps me figure out how to keep making them better. I've ran out of 'likes' for the day, but I've read the posts and thank you all for the comments and suggestions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pumpkinpatchquilter Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 No sausages here Marci, these look fabulous!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Thanks, Rita. Oh, I practice alright. I can make them beautiful on paper, but when I do it at the machine I just lose my mojo for some reason. I'll keep plugging away on paper and machine, I may or may not ever get them the way my drawings are, but I should just feel very fortunate that I have a machine I can quilt away on any design I choose. I was the same way, Marci! I practiced on paper and whiteboard for months and got good at drawing feathers. But the execution on fabric was not great. Then I started drawing those nice feathers on fabric with a water-erase pen. I practiced first by stitching on the marks unthreaded a couple of times. And then with thread. It's great practice and trains your brain! Then spritz off the marks and you're left with pretty feathers because any waver off the line just disappears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cegates Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Those whobquilt for others - please pay attention. This thread so clearly shows why we should all be charging a fair price for our work. I so understand Marci's frustration of trying to cross that line between just stitching a design vs. making it look great. BTW your feathers do look great! It takes a lot of practice, a lot of perseverance and a little talent too. Not sure why I'm up on my soapbox this morning, but just felt compelled to comment. Carol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted January 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 I was the same way, Marci! I practiced on paper and whiteboard for months and got good at drawing feathers. But the execution on fabric was not great. Then I started drawing those nice feathers on fabric with a water-erase pen. I practiced first by stitching on the marks unthreaded a couple of times. And then with thread. It's great practice and trains your brain! Then spritz off the marks and you're left with pretty feathers because any waver off the line just disappears. Thank you, Linda! I have a question, though, and apologize if it sounds dumb, but I don't know so must ask. Did you mark your feathers on the fabric on the frame or off the frame and then load? I think I can see how marking them on the frame will help me get my bearings for the direction changes better. Something about reaching to draw them and reaching with the machine arms to stitch them - they're not the same as comfortably drawing feathers on a paper or dry erase board sitting right in front of me. I'm thinking stencils as well as your suggestion may be a key and am trying them today. Also the 45 degree angle for the feather tail gives me a visual and mental reference that I need. And by the way, Linda, I used your directions you posted, I think last year, to draw out my large meandering feathers. I was scared to try it and just thought, what the heck, and went for it. A simple baby quilt full of meandering feathers is a neat combination, I think. So thanks for the pictures and mini-tutorial on them. Again, thank you for all that have chimed in and any more suggestions. I appreciate it bunches! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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