Cut Out + Keep

Fake Feathers With A Back Bone

trying ways to make them stand up for themselves

https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/fake-feathers-with-a-back-bone • Posted by EstherC

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.

You will need

Project Budget
Almost Nothing

Time

0 h 21

Difficulty

Pretty Easy
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Description

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.

Instructions

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    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

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    I sew about 3/4 inch of a tight zigzag that's 2-3 mm wide. Then I stop put and the needle down.

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    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

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    I cut both ends

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    cutting the other side *Up to the stiching not throught it... Very inmortant not to cut the center line.

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    then sort of scratch at it with the tip til they come away.

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    they may come out looking all crazy but they'll clean up nice.

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    Comb for the win

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    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...

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    that wont look too much diffent

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    and you can't tell you did it at all from the front.

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    ---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.