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Cost: $ $ $ $ $

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Time: 21 mins

trying ways to make them stand up for themselves
The feathers I've posted with this method of construction so far are really best for glueing down onto a mask, or perhaps starching a few.

They may or may not hold up on a costume depending on the texture of the material you fray to make them. I found smaller feathers from lighter materals seem to do ok, I also got some bottom weight an went a little bigger, with Starch I think I could make a Feathered Fan.

You want them to stand up find fabric that will, and use some more layers and add a back bone. Now you can use what ever you feel comfortable working with in the way of wire. I did a few with Pipe cleaners. There we nice in that you could Bend and shape them.

Posted by EstherC from Seattle, Washington, United States • Published 1st October 2011 • See EstherC's 22 projects »

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jeannie.travis1 commented on Fake Feathers With A Back Bone 15 Nov 00:15
Hello Sweet Taco favorited Fake Feathers With A Back Bone 26 Aug 13:23
Alex Poser added Fake Feathers With A Back Bone to Techniques and Tools 10 Jan 22:05
GothicYolita favorited Fake Feathers With A Back Bone 21 Jun 15:10

Step 1
I normally star by cutting the fabric into strips marking the grain line stacking two or more with the grain lined up as best I can
Step 2
I sew about 3/4 inch of a tight zigzag that's 2-3 mm wide.

Then I stop put and the needle down.
Step 3
I put the pipe cleaner or Wire under the foot beyond where I am sewing, so it doesn't ge snagged by the needle and end up diven into the machine *Scary Idea I know.

Then keep sewing over the pipe cleaner... I don't normally change my width but you can if you wnat to make it 1mm wider that is up to you.

Be safe not sorry right
Step 4
Sew all the way to the edge of the fabric, perhaps a couple stiches past...

cut all the threads hanging off Keep the pipe cleaner long as that is how you attach it to what ever your working on.
Step 5
Now is a good time to point out making a template off a real feather may not be a bad idea, unless you can free hand this sort of thing over and over well.

Trim the fabric until you have your Feather shape.

I also trim the little end of pipe cleaned that I left out the top.
Step 6
You just let the fabric fray and pull off the threads until you get to where you can't easily.

I like to lay the feather down on my clip board and use the tip of the seam ripper to work some free.
Step 7
sometimes you'll miss the grain a little, and the thread wont just come free so I use the seam ripper to cut it free.
Step 8
I cut both ends
Step 9
cutting the other side
*Up to the stiching not throught it... Very inmortant not to cut the center line.
Step 10
then sort of scratch at it with the tip til they come away.
Step 11
they may come out looking all crazy but they'll clean up nice.
Step 12
Comb for the win
Step 13
some people may not like the fluffy line, *use some otehr kind of wire? Trim off the fluff ahead of time? Or do the crazy way and trim off after...
Step 14
that wont look too much diffent
Step 15
and you can't tell you did it at all from the front.
Step 16
---The Fake Feathers on a mask, stacked ontop as mask with Real Feathers.
[The point is, the the fake can hold their own with the real. Probally not in those colors but if they matched, it could be great.