Christmas Toy Tip With Feathers

Ok, time for starting in on the Christmas bird ornaments for the Country Cellar event.  They did well last year and I want to make more  for this year, and use up my feather stash in the process.  The picture here is off the internet, but it gives an idea of how they generally look.

Sewing with feathers isn't all that hard.  You get a package of marabou fluffs from the craft store, sit somewhere that you don't mind getting feather pieces over everything, and put four or five fluffs together at their base, with your fingers.  Holding them in place, take a needle and thread (any color thread) and take one stitch through the bottom. Then wind the thread tightly around the bottom 1/4" about ten times. Take another stitch through the wound part and cut your thread.  Then trim the uneven bottoms of the feather veins so the bottom is flat.  Now dip the end into Elmer's Glue and set aside to dry.

 

You can then insert the feather bunch into anything you sew and sew over/through it and your feathers will not pull out.  I've used this technique on feathers I put into cat toys, and the feather decorations on the soft sculpture falcon's hoods.  It works great.